One Piece the Movie: The Island of Children
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Summary inside. Read and review, and no flames or hate please! SPOILERS INSIDE! Takes place after Dressrosa and Zou. Rated T. Contains bits of LuffyXNami and ZoroXRobin.
1. Prologue

One Piece the Movie:

The Island of Children

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

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Summary- Being the youngest of the Straw Hats takes a toll on Aika when she starts yearning for friendship of those who are more her age. Sure, having the great "Straw Hat" Luffy for a big brother, plus having the entire Straw Hat Crew as her family is fun in itself, but it still doesn't stop Aika from being lonely. However, Aika may just get her wish when she is accidentally spirited away by a woman pirate named Anya, who brings her to an island filled with children, from infants to pre-teens. At first, Aika thinks she's found herself a paradise…but the island and Anya herself harbor a dark, terrible secret, one that threatens the young D carrier AND the inhabitants!

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WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS! TURN BACK IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!

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 **Prologue**

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It was a misty day…one seemingly like any other on Humdrum Island. It was quiet, calm, and peaceful, so much so that little children could be heard, laughing and playing outside under the watchful gaze of their families. Even in such dreary weather, the children seemed to make the most out of every day.

But then, all too quickly…it happens.

 **DING-DONG! DING-DONG! DING-DONG!**

A bell chimes out, followed by several more. The adults look up at the horizon, their once calm faces replaced with looks of worry and slight panic, while the children's glee is replaced with confusion. As they follow the gaze of their parents…they see it: a cloud of ominous red mist, flowing towards the island from the east. The sea, once a beautiful deep blue, soon takes on the same shade of this mist, and even the clouds themselves become eerily crimson.

Without warning, the adults shoo the children inside before following after, locking their doors, windows, and other openings. Then…they silently sit inside and wait, embracing their confused and frightened youngsters.

A man wearing a brown shirt with a broad blue stripe on the front and a pair of white trousers sits near the window, holding a 9-year-old girl with strawberry blonde hair in his arms. The girl herself whimpers as she holds a teddy bear in her arms.

"Daddy…?" she whispers.

"It's okay, honey," her father replies, smiling in an assuring manner as he gently strokes the girl's cheek. "Everything will be okay. I promise. Just don't look outside, no matter what you hear."

The daughter smiles and nods her head as her father holds her close to his heart.

Outside, however…another little girl with short, cyan hair and light green eyes stumbles through the mist. Her eyes were blank and hooded, almost like she was in a catatonic state. Behind her, a woman with longer, darker blue hair and hazel eyes comes running, reaching her hand out to her, and yet…it felt as if she could barely reach the girl, like something was pushing her back. Still, she kept trying, desperately trying to close the distance between the two.

"Marilyn!" the woman cried. "Marilyn, please come back! It's too dangerous out here!"

But the girl kept walking, her mother's cries going unheard…and then, she stops. She does not turn to face her mother…but instead, a small smile appears on her face as she reaches her hand out…to an old woman with long, grayish-blue hair and a lavender blouse…but her eyes remain unseen, hooded by shadow.

"Nana…!" she whispers.

"Come, my sweet Marilyn," said the old woman. "Come with Nana…and you'll be forever happy."

Marilyn's smile grows wider as she takes the old woman's hand, and soon, they both walked further into the mist, vanishing from the eyes of Marilyn's mother.

"Marilyn! MARILYN!" she cried. "MARILYN, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

As she searches for her daughter…the mother suddenly froze…as a menacing shadow suddenly appeared behind her, its eyes burning like a raging inferno. A wide grin appears on its face, revealing rows of sharp fangs, and many tails lashing out behind it like angry serpents. As the woman turns, she gasps upon seeing a beastly hand with long, sharp claws on its fingertips…and as they come down on her like a row of guillotines, all she can do is let out a horrified scream…and then…silence.

The beast soon runs off into the mist…which slowly retreats from the streets of the town, going back to from whence it came…and the girl, Marilyn was taken with it.

"Marilyn…!" the mother whispers as she lies in a pool of blood…and her eyes soon shut, the world around her starting to fade.

 _ **~5 months later~**_

The New World; the second half of the Grand Line, sometimes known as "the Sea of Hell". It is here that the proud _Thousand Sunny_ sails. However…her crew is now facing a great dilemma.

"Sanji~! I'm hungry~!"

(BGM: Sunny Go no Koukai from One Piece Movie 9.)

Yes…the crew was out of food, yet again.

It was the same thing every time: Luffy just couldn't help himself. He drained the remaining food supply, which was supposed to last until the crew reached the next island, in one night…and that was 3 nights ago. It's been 4 days, now, and hunger has since set in. While most tried their best to ignore it and endure their hunger…others chose to complain about it.

"Ugh…!" Luffy groaned as he lied on the side of his faithful canine companion, Blizzard, his stomach rumbling like it never rumbled before. "I'm starving~!"

 **MONKEY D. LUFFY**

 **CAPTAIN**

 **BOUNTY: 500,000,000 B.**

Luffy was dressed in a reddish-orange hoodie jacket with the sleeves torn off, a pair of dark purple jean shorts, a dark red sash, and a gray wristband on his right wrist, as well as his signature straw hat on his had.

" _You've got no one to blame but for yourself for this, Luffy,"_ Blizzard said grumpily, wearing his silver chain necklace around his right left front paw and a purple bandana with white stars around his neck. _"You're such a greedy pig, eating like tomorrow will never come, and then why you wonder why you get so hungry the next day."_

 **BLIZZARD**

 **GUARD DOG**

 **BOUNTY: 400,000 B.**

"I can't help it," Luffy complained. "I'm just so hungry…my tummy needs food!"

" _Oh, cry me a river, why don't ya?"_ Blizzard asked, rolling his eyes.

Up in the Crow's Nest, Zoro, currently shirtless, tries to stave off his hunger by meditating…it didn't help that Luffy was complaining.

"That idiot…" he muttered. "Hasn't he heard of self control?"

 **RORONOA ZORO**

 **SWORDSMAN**

 **BOUNTY: 320,000,000 B.**

In the library, Nami sighs as she tries to concentrate on working on her maps. Her hair was tied up in pigtails, and she was wearing her "mapmaking glasses" again. She wore a skimpy, aquamarine halter top that said "CAT SCRATCH" on the front and a pair of white pants with blue rings on the side. She side as she put her pen down and took her glasses off.

"I know I said I was going on a diet," the navigator said, "but I didn't mean like this."

 **NAMI**

 **NAVIGATOR/CARTOGRAPHER**

 **BOUNTY: 66,000,000 B.**

Robin only chuckled as she looked over at Nami, momentarily putting her book down. The historian wore a purple blouse and a pair of lavender shorts, as well as a white sunhat with a decorative fake daisy pin on it.

"I suppose we really should be careful what we wish for, huh?" she asked.

 **NICO ROBIN**

 **ARCHAEOLOGIST**

 **BOUNTY: 130,000,000 B.**

Down below deck, Franky is in the Energy Room, checking the cola supply. He is wearing a bronze yellow shirt that said "ALOHA" in purple letters all over, and his hair is styled in the shape of an eagle's wings.

"Okay…just 3 barrels of cola left, and only 9 bottles," the Cyborg said, looking at a clipboard. "Damn that Luffy…nearly drained the cola supply, too! Hopefully, I'll be able to get some more at the next island."

 **FRANKY**

 **SHIPWRIGHT**

 **BOUNTY: 94,000,000 B.**

In the Usopp Factory, the sniper, who is wearing a yellow T-shirt with the word "YOSHA" in big white letters, a pair of green shorts, his usual armband, and a pair of flat sandals, is having trouble trying to make some new traps to keep Luffy out of the kitchen…mainly because he couldn't think very well on an empty stomach.

"Ugh…dammit, I'm starving…!" he cursed. "Jeez, Luffy, don't you ever thinking of anyone else besides your stomach?!"

 **USOPP (AKA SOGEKING)**

 **SNIPER**

 **BOUNTY: 200,000,000 B.**

In the sick bay, Chopper, who is wearing a dark blue samurai helmet over his hat, golden rings around the branches of his antlers, a pink shirt with lighter carnation cherry blossom petals, a pair of orange pants, and a dog tag necklace, sits at his desk, his tongue hanging out of his mouth in a tired manner.

"Ugh…I can't move too much," he said. "The more I move…the less energy I'll have."

 **TONY-TONY CHOPPER**

 **DOCTOR**

 **BOUNTY: 100 B.**

In the kitchen, Sanji, wearing a black vest and pants with a wallet chain in the pocket, a lavender shirt underneath, and a dark red tie, is washing the dishes…for the third time today.

"Damn Luffy…" the cook cursed as he kept washing. "Can't keep my eyes off him for a second! At least his sister isn't so selfish."

 **SANJI**

 **COOK**

 **BOUNTY: 177,000,000 B.**

Outside at the helm, Brook, wearing a jacket that is white on the right side and black on the left side, a golden medallion with the kanji for "bones" around his neck, his usual sunglasses, and a pair of dark orange trousers, hums to himself as he steers the ship.

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "I do hope we find land soon. My stomach is just so empty. Ah! But I don't have a stomach."

 **BROOK**

 **MUSICIAN**

 **BOUNTY: 83,000,000 B.**

"Hey, Brook."

Brook looked down to see Aika, wearing her dark red cowgirl hat, her signature light blue butterfly hair clip, a grayish blue shirt with yellow four-pointed stars, a brown skirt, and her black shoes. Beside her stood Kumi, her loyal Akita puppy, wearing nothing but her red rhinestone collar.

 **MONKEY D. AIKA AND KUMI**

 **PIRATES IN TRAINING**

 **BOUNTY: N/A**

"Oh!" Brook exclaimed. "Well, hello, young Miss Aika!"

"Brook, I'm bored," Aika said. "You wanna play a game?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," Brook apologized. "I'm afraid I can't play with you at the moment. Why don't you ask your brother?"

"I already tried," Aika answered. "He's too busy complaining about being hungry. I asked Blizzard, too, but he was pretty grumpy when I talked to him."

' _Probably because he has to sit there and listen to Luffy whine,'_ Kumi thought.

"Sorry, young Miss Aika," Brook said. "Perhaps you should ask someone else."

"Well…okay," Aika said, somewhat dismally, before she walked off. "See ya later, Brook. Come on, Kumi."

Kumi barked before she followed after her friend.

"Maybe we should try asking Big Sis Nami," Aika said as she went into the library and found said navigator, scribbling on her map with Robin still reading her book.

"Hi, Big Sis Nami!" Aika greeted. "Hi, Aunt Robin!"

"Hello, Aika, sweetheart," Robin smiled.

"What are you doing in here, Little Wolf?" Nami asked.

"You wanna play a game with me?" Aika asked. "I was thinking that maybe we could play something until we got to the next island."

"Oh, Aika," Nami said. "I wish I could play a game with you, but I'm really busy drawing my map, right now."

"Oh, right," Aika said. "What about you, Aunt Robin?"

"Sorry, Aika," Robin said. "I'm reading. Maybe another time."

"Didn't you ask your brother?" Nami asked.

"Uh-huh," Aika said, "and he was too busy worrying about his tummy."

"Why am I not surprised?" Nami questioned, irritated at her captain/boyfriend's lack of common sense. "Have you tried asking anybody else, sweetheart?"

"Well, I tried to ask Brook," Aika said. "He said no, too."

"I'm sure someone will play with you," Nami said. "Why don't you go ask someone else?"

"Okay," Aika said. "Thanks anyway, Big Sis Nami, Aunt Robin…I know you're probably too busy to play with me, anyway…plus, you haven't eaten in a while, so it probably wouldn't be really fair of me to make you move around so much."

She then walked out with Kumi following after her. As they did, Nami and Robin couldn't help but sense that the 6-year-old was a bit dejected.

"Poor Aika," Nami said, feeling guilty. "I really feel bad, shooting her down like that."

"Me, too," Robin concurred. "It breaks my heart to see her so sad. It's not really her fault. She doesn't really have many friends her age, aside from Kumi."

"Yeah, that's true," Nami said, "but…Aika needs to be around human children, too."

Outside, the girls didn't realize that Aika was still nearby and happened to overhear what Nami had said, and needless to say, that seemed to add more to her sadness. Kumi whimpered before she went up and nudged her arm.

" _You okay, Aika?"_ Kumi asked.

"…Yeah," Aika answered, smiling at the Akita puppy. "I'm fine."

Kumi's ears fell to the sides of her heads, for she knew the wolf-girl was lying to her. However, she decided not to question it, for she knew that Aika would try and deny it.

So, the two youngsters went off to ask the rest of the Straw Hats to play with them. They asked Zoro, but he shooed them out because he was too busy meditating. Then they tried asking Usopp, but the sniper was so hungry, he couldn't lift a finger. They asked Franky, next, but the Cyborg was too busy making sure they had enough cola until the next island. Then they asked Sanji, but when they tried to play a game with the flour by putting it on her and pretending she was a ghost, Sanji got a little irritated and shooed Aika out for making a mess. He wasn't too mad, though, knowing that Aika was just playing. Finally, she asked Chopper, but the little reindeer told Aika and Kumi that it wasn't wise to be moving around so much on an empty stomach.

So, the little wolf girl went up to the figurehead and sat there, sighing sadly.

" _Uh…Aika?"_ Kumi asked as she sat beside her head. _"You know…it's been four days since we all ate anything, so no one's really in the mood to play any games…but if you want, I'll still play with you."_

"No, Kumi, it's okay," Aika said as she sighed and hugged her knees to her chest. "…It's not just today…there were other days that everybody couldn't play with me…because I'm the only kid on the ship."

Kumi looked at Aika worriedly before she wormed her way onto her lap. This action caused the girl to smile before she hugged the puppy.

" _I know I'm not human,"_ Kumi said, _"but you know…I'll always be your best friend, Aika…right?"_

"I know, Kumi," Aika said as she hugged Kumi…but then she spots something on the horizon…something shrouded by a thick mist. "Hey…what's that?"

" _I dunno,"_ Kumi answered. _"It's all misty."_

The girl and her pup squint their eyes, trying to adjust their vision…when suddenly, the mist cleared up, and soon after, something comes into view: an island with a harbor, a lighthouse, and a large town!

" _It's an island!"_ Kumi exclaimed happily.

"Hooray!" Aika cheered before she morphed into her Wolf Form and howled loudly, gaining everyone's attention on the ship.

"What's that girl howling about, now?" Nami asked.

"Island ho~!" Aika called out. "There's an island, dead ahead!"

Upon hearing that, Luffy suddenly sprang to his feet.

"Huh?!" he questioned. "An island?! An island means a town, and a town means restaurants, and restaurants mean food! WHOO-HOO!"

"About time," Sanji said.

"Thank goodness for Aika!" Chopper exclaimed.

With that, Luffy ran to the figurehead with the rest of the Straw Hats following behind him. The Straw Hat Captain leapt up onto the figurehead, scooping up Aika and Kumi in his arms as he did so.

Little did the crew now that this would be the beginning of yet another epic adventure…one that would take the youngest member by storm.

 **ONE PIECE THE MOVIE:**

 **THE ISLAND OF CHILDREN**

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

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So, I decided to make a little One Piece fanmade movie, which has Aika as the star. Since Dressrosa's over, I felt the need to upload this here.

Don't worry, I'll still be working on my version, as well as Little Wolf in Death City.

So, yeah, read and review!


	2. Ch 1- An Island in Crisis

**Ch. 1- An Island in Crisis**

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

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Soon, the Straw Hats made landfall at the island, but they remembered to hide the _Sunny_ in a cave near the southern shoreline. Once they did, they disembarked from the ship and headed off into town, and when they arrived, Nami had everyone gathered around her in a group circle to discuss who gets what job.

(BGM: Hungry Luffy from the One Piece Soundtrack.)

"Okay, then," said Nami. "Sanji, you, Brook, and Usopp will be out for groceries."

"Naturally," Sanji said.

"Time to get to work," Usopp added.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "Indeed! It's about time I put these old bones of mine to good use!"

"Chopper, why don't you go down and get some medicine at the local pharmacy?" Nami asked.

"Can do!" Chopper saluted.

"Zoro, you stay and watch the ship," Nami said, prompting Zoro, who is now wearing a dark blue Doskoi Panda shirt with his usual black pants, boots, and green haramaki sash, to yawn.

"Whatever," Zoro muttered.

"I'll be out book shopping," Robin said.

"As usual for Robin," Nami smiled, "and I suppose you're going to be going out for a cola run, right Franky?"

"You got it!" Franky exclaimed. "This week's me hasn't really been all that SUPER without it."

"All right, then," Nami said, but then Luffy reached over and tapped her shoulder.

"Nami~!" he whined, rubbing his growling belly. "I'm hungry~!"

"I know, Luffy!" Nami answered. "Just hang on a second! We'll go to a restaurant soon!" She then looked down at Aika before squatting down to her height level. "What do you wanna do, Little Sis? Do you and Kumi wanna come and eat with your Big Brother and me?"

"…No thanks," Aika answered.

"Are you sure, Sis?" Luffy asked, almost worriedly. Like him, Aika rarely refused a meal.

"I'm just…not in the mood," Aika answered. "If it's all right with you…I'm just gonna play with Kumi for a while at the playground or something, and I'll come and look for you guys later…is that okay?"

"…If that's what you wanna do," Nami started, "then…all right, Aika. Come on, Luffy. Let's see if we can't find a restaurant."

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Let's eat!"

"Come on, Blizzard!" Nami called. "You come, too!"

Blizzard barked before he followed after Luffy and Nami whilst everyone else went off to do their respective jobs. Aika, meanwhile, walked off with Kumi following after her, but Nami couldn't help but watch the two with a bit of unease.

"Hey, Luffy?" Nami asked. "Aren't you a little worried about Aika? She hasn't really been herself lately."

"I gotta admit, even I'm a bit worried," Luffy answered, "but I'll deal with it after I eat. I can't really be a Big Brother on an empty stomach."

" _You can't do anything on an empty stomach,"_ Blizzard interjected.

"So now you see my point," Luffy said.

Blizzard opened his mouth to speak…but then sighed.

" _Yeah, Luffy, sure,"_ he muttered. _"Whatever…"_

Meanwhile, Aika and Kumi had arrived at the playground, where they saw other kids sitting around, either playing on the swings, sliding on the slide, digging in the sandbox, or playing catch with a ball. Aika smiled as she and Kumi approached them, and when they got within spotting range of the children, they greeted them with smiles of their own.

"Hi!" said a boy with brown hair, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt, a pair of dark red shorts, and sandals on his feet. "I'm Jeremy!"

"I'm Aika," Aika answered as she gestured to Kumi. "This is Kumi."

Kumi barked in greeting.

"You wanna play with us, Aika?" asked Jeremy, holding his ball in his hands.

"Yeah, I'll play!" Aika said.

Kumi barked excitedly as she and her best friend went to join the other children.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the marketplace, Sanji, Usopp, and Brook are shopping around for food supplies. So far, they had bought tomatoes, cabbages, lettuce, carrots, meats, and other things. Right now, Sanji is looking at the fish, checking to see if it was fresh enough to take to the ship.

"They look fresh," Usopp noted.

"Maybe," Sanji answered before he looked up and saw a woman in her later 20s wearing a light blue blouse and short, light blue hair. "Excuse me, miss?"

"Hmm?" the woman hummed as she looked up…revealing a solemn look in her eyes.

"Is this fish fresh?" Sanji asked.

"Oh…y-yes, it is," the woman answered. "It was caught this morning by my husband."

"I see," Sanji said. "That aside, though…are you all right?"

"Yes, you seem a bit downtrodden," Brook added.

"I-I'm fine," the woman answered. "I guess I'm a little stressed out from work." She then sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Are you sure it's just that?" Usopp asked.

"Please don't bother my wife," said a voice. The three turned to see a tall, well-built man, at least as tall as Franky, but not as bulky. He had long, dark green hair tied up in a ponytail, wore a white shirt with the kanji for "fish" on the front, a pair of dark red trousers, and a pair of flats on his feet. He had a stitched-up scar going down his right arm, and another one on his left ankle, and he also had a prominent chin, where a scruffy beard the same color as his hair grows.

"And just who are you?" asked Sanji.

"I'm Barrel," said the man. "I'm a fisherman in this town, and the woman you're speaking to is my wife, Josephine. Please don't bother her with all these questions. We're both going through a difficult time, right now?"

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked.

(BGM: A Dark Past from the One Piece Soundtrack.)

"…Well, since you're eager to know," said Barrel, "it's…our daughter. She's missing."

"Missing?" Brook repeated.

"This sounds familiar," Sanji mused.

XXX

At a bookstore, Robin is about to get ready to checkout with her purchases. The bookstore clerk was a man in his mid-30s with slicked-back dark brown hair, a red shirt with a pine green vest, as well as a pine green necktie, a pair of red pants, a silver ring on his right ring finger, and a pair of square-framed reading glasses.

"I'd like to purchase these books, please," Robin said.

"Excellent choices, madam," said the clerk as he took the books from Robin's hands. As he proceeded to ring them up, Robin looked down on the countertop and saw a framed picture of a little boy with auburn hair, wearing a yellow school uniform complete with a little red tie, smiling widely at the camera, showing that he was missing a tooth. He also had on a pair of glasses, only these were rounder.

"Who's this?" Robin asked as she picked up the frame.

"That's my son, Arthur Jr.," said the clerk. "He looks a bit like me when I was his age, huh?"

"I do see a resemblance," Robin said with a chuckle. "How old is he?"

"Well, that picture was taken 3 years ago," said Arthur, his voice taking on a melancholy tone. "I'm pretty sure he's about 9 years old, now."

"…You sound so glum all of a sudden," Robin said, concerned. "Is something the matter?"

"…Whenever I came to work here," Arthur started, "Junior would always come and help me with selling the books every day after he comes home from school. This was his favorite place to be."

He then sighed as he put his hand to his forehead.

"…I miss him so much," he said. "I pray that wherever he is, he's safe and trying to find his way home."

Robin gasped silently at this.

XXX

"Thank you for coming!"

"You're welcome!"

Chopper had just exited the pharmacy, having stuffed his bag with various medicinal herbs and plants to make his medicine with. However, during his brief time there, he noticed that the shopkeeper, a woman in her 30s, seemed to be quite dismal, like the other denizens of the island. When he asked what was wrong, he had been told that her twin daughters had disappeared.

"This sounds like Punk Hazard, all over again," the little reindeer pondered, only to bump into a pair of hairy metal legs.

"Whoops!" Franky said, holding a barrel of cola in one hand and crates of cola in the other. "Sorry about that, Chopper. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Chopper answered. "I see you got lots of cola."

"Yeah, but the guy who sold it to me seemed…well…" Franky started.

"Off?" Chopper answered. "I noticed that, too. Did it have anything to do with-"

"A missing kid?" Franky finished. "Yeah. The guy's little sister was missing."

"…What is going on with this town?" Chopper asked. "Something's really wrong here."

"Tell me about it," Franky concurred. "I'm actually pretty worried here."

XXX

At a restaurant, Luffy is seen stuffing his face full of all kinds of food, and his stomach had ballooned out to comically gigantic proportions. Blizzard sat nearby, eating a bowl of ground beef mixed with eggs. Nami, meanwhile, was at the counter, eating a salad and having a drink at the counter, where the owner, a portly old man with bushy, gray eyebrows, a pale rose wool cap, a grayish-blue, short-sleeved shirt with a flower design on the front, lavender pants, and a pair of brown loafers, sits behind while smoking a pipe.

"I hope you plan on paying for all the food your boyfriend's eating," the owner answered.

"Don't worry," Nami assured. "I promise, I'll pay for it."

 **URRRRRP!**

"Excuse me," Luffy was heard saying before he continued gorging.

Nami sighed and shook her head.

"Some manners he's got," the owner quipped.

"He may be a glutton, but he's my glutton," Nami said.

"Takes all kinds, I suppose," said the old timer, taking a drag of his pipe before he blew out a puff of smoke.

As Nami kept eating her salad, she noticed that the old codger kept looking outside a nearby window, as if looking for something.

"Sir?" the navigator asked. "Are you looking for something?"

"…6 years…" the old man muttered under his breath.

"What?" Nami asked.

"6 years…since my grandchildren had disappeared," said the owner.

"Your grandchildren?" Nami repeated, concerned.

Luffy had also paused in his eating to listen on the conversation, a spaghetti noodle dangling out of his lips and his cheeks stuffed to bursting. Blizzard had also stopped to listen, as well.

"Sorry," said the old man. "Name's Tarragon, by the way."

"Tarragon, huh?" Nami asked. "Kinda nice. So, Mister Tarragon…what do you mean by your grandchildren disappearing?"

"It happened 6 years ago," Tarragon answered. "It was like something out of a ghost story…and here in the New World, it almost didn't surprise me. However, that didn't mean I wasn't prepared for it…even though it's happened before to so many others."

"What's happened before?" Luffy asked, swallowing his food.

"While walking around in town, earlier," Tarragon started, "did you happen to notice the solemn looks on folks around here?"

"…Come to think of it," Nami started, "yeah, we did."

"Yeah, everybody sure looked bummed out," Luffy added, with Blizzard nodding his head in agreement.

"It's because…something has come here," Tarragon answered. "Something ominous…something cruel."

"What do you mean?" Nami asked, worriedly.

"…Once every few months or so," Tarragon explained, "a mysterious red mist appears from the east…and swallows the island up. When it does, we are forced to grab our children, run inside, and lock up all our doors and windows. Then…we can only sit and wait for it to go away. However…anyone unlucky enough to be outside at the time the mist appears suddenly gets caught in a strange trance. People often try to go out and stop the victim…but when they do…something appears behind them and attacks. Then, as quickly as the red mist appears…it's gone…and it takes whoever it has claimed with it."

"…A red mist…?" Nami whispered. "And, for some reason, it only goes after children?" Nami asked.

"That's right," Tarragon replied, "and it hasn't just been happening recently. It's been going on for as long as time can remember!"

"What?!" Nami questioned.

' _This doesn't sound good,'_ Blizzard thought.

"I still remember, more than 70 years ago," Tarragon said, gripping his pipe. "First, that damned mist takes my younger sister, Fennel…and years later, it takes my grandkids!"

"I take it by the sound of your voice," Nami started, "their parents aren't around anymore, are they?"

The old codger sighed and nodded his head.

"My son-in-law was a Marine," he said, "but he died 4 years ago in a thunder cyclone. My daughter, Rosemary…she actually had a heart disease, and a few weeks after giving birth, she died from that same disease…the same one her daughter, Ginger, happened to get, actually."

"You're kidding me…!" Nami said in shock.

"It's the same thing, every few months," Tarragon said, sadly. "Why? Why does the red mist only target us? And more importantly, why does it target only the children?! Why must it make us suffer so badly?!"

Luffy, Nami, and Blizzard all remained eerily silent…but then…

 **DING-DONG! DING-DONG!** The loud chiming of bells rang out, outside.

"What was that?!" Nami asked.

"Oh, no," Tarragon whispered in horror. "It's coming!"

XXX

At the ship, Zoro happened to be awakened by the ringing of the bells, as well the sound of panicked screams.

"Everyone, get your children indoors, now!" someone shouts.

"Unh…!" Zoro groaned as he woke up. "What the hell is with all the racket? I'm trying to-"

He trailed off when he looked out to the east…and he saw something forming on the horizon, getting bigger and bigger.

"What's that big red cloud?" the swordsman questioned.

XXX

"Oh, no," Barrel whispered in horror as he saw the red mass coming towards the island, painting the sky and sea the same color. "Not again!"

"What is that thing?" Sanji asked.

"I-I dunno, but it doesn't look good!" Usopp stammered.

"I think we should head back to the ship, posthaste!" Brook added.

XXX

Robin, who had left the bookstore, watched from her place on the street as the red cloud grew larger as it draws closer to the island's shore.

"What…is that…?!" she whispered, nervously.

XXX

"AAAH!" Chopper shrieked as he hid behind Franky. "That cloud is really scary-looking! What is it?!"

"A red storm, maybe?" Franky asked, a hand over his brow to get a better look.

XXX

Nami gasped as she spotted the cloud from inside the restaurant while Blizzard barked and growled at it. A still bloated Luffy, meanwhile, just sat at his table, taking a bit out of a mutton joint.

"What is that thing?" Luffy asked with his mouth full.

"Is that…the red mist you were talking about?!" Nami asked Tarragon.

"Yeah, it is," Tarragon said. "It reaches out like a giant claw and seems to grab the island, taking any child it can get!"

That's when Nami gasped again.

"Wait a minute!" she cried. "Luffy, isn't Aika outside with Kumi?!"

"Oh, shit!" Luffy cursed in horror.

XXX

Concurrently, at the playground, Aika and Kumi stared out at the horizon with curiosity while the rest of the children looked on with fear and worry.

"Quick!" Jeremy cried as he dropped his ball and dashed off. "Let's get inside!"

The other soon followed him, not even giving a single glance back.

" _Uh…okay,"_ Kumi said. _"I don't know why they're running, but if that weird cloud of mist has something to do with it, then I say we get outta here! Come on, Aika! Let's go find Luffy!"_

With that, the Akita pup ran off…but Aika did not follow her.

The 6-year-old D. Carrier stood in place, her lips parted slightly and her eyes wide…as a woman with long, curly black hair, a red sparkling dress, a pair of red high heels, and ruby red lipstick on her lips, approached her, her eyes concealed by her hair.

As Aika found her voice…there was only word she could let out in barely a whisper.

"…Mommy…?"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	3. Ch 2- Aika in Danger

**Ch. 2- Aika in Danger**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

"Luffy, we gotta go!" Nami cried as she slammed some money on the counter and ran out the door. Still bloated from his gorging, Luffy attempted to follow with Blizzard in hot pursuit, but as the former tried to get through the door, the Straw Hat Captain found himself wedged in the doorway due to his girth, and Blizzard ended up bouncing off his back and fell to the floor.

"Urgh…!" Luffy grunted as he tried to pull himself out, but alas, he could not. "Dammit!"

" _Luffy, you gluttonous dumb-ass!"_ Blizzard barked. _"Look at what you've gotten yourself into, now!"_

"Luffy, hurry!" Nami urged.

"I can't!" Luffy answered. "I'm stuck!"

"Oh, for Neptune's sake!" Nami complained as she grabbed Luffy by the arms and attempted to pull him out herself, but as she did so, his arms began to stretch due to his rubber powers. Blizzard, still stuck behind Luffy, tried to help by pushing his paws agains his backside, but even that didn't seem to work.

"Come on, Luffy, are you serious?!" Nami questioned. "Why would you eat until you're this bloated?!"

"I can't help it!" Luffy answered. "I just get hungry!"

Just then, Nami gasped as she spotted the red mist beginning to flow through the streets, and not long after, she hears loud screams from both men and women alike.

"VERONICA! VERONICA, COME BACK!"

"STEPHEN! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"HELEN! HELEEEN!"

"Nami, there's no time!" Luffy said. "You just go and find Aika! I'll catch up!"

"You better lose that weight fast!" Nami shouted as she ran off to find the youngest crew member, leaving Blizzard to try and push Luffy out.

XXX

Out in the streets, Aika wanders, her eyes blank and hooded and her lips parted slightly as the mysterious woman beckoned her.

"Come Aika," she whispers. "Come with me."

"Mommy…" Aika muttered.

Around Aika…other children started walking alongside her, several of them around her age, others about 3 years older or more. They all had the same blank, entranced look on their faces, their steps wobbly and stumbling.

Behind them, a certain Akita pup tried to get through the horde of kids in order to reach her friend.

" _Aika!"_ Kumi cried as she tried to push her way passed the kids. _"Aika, come back! What are you doing?!"_

The pup tried more and more get passed the growing crowd of children, but instead of getting closer to Aika, she got pushed back farther from her instead.

" _Aika! AIKA!"_ Kumi shouted as she found herself way in the back, but still she kept trying to get passed the kids. However, she saw that Aika was no longer in her sights.

' _W-where'd she go!?'_ Kumi thought. _'What's going on?!'_

XXX

Chopper and Franky stood outside in the mist, which strangely had not effected them. However, the doctor was looking around with worry and unease as the mist continued to flow through the streets.

"What's with this crazy fog?" Franky asked, looking around.

"…Something's really wrong, here," Chopper spoke. "This mist…it doesn't smell like water. It smells like some type of hallucinogenic plant."

As he said this, the little reindeer spotted a shadowy figure, standing in the midst of the red mist. He gasped silently, his eyes going wide…before he began to slowly walk forward.

"Huh?" Franky muttered as he looked down. "Hey! Hey, Chopper!"

"Eh?!" Chopper questioned before shaking his head and looking back at the Cyborg. "Franky…"

"What happened?" Franky asked. "You were just about to walk right into the mist!"

"…I…I don't know," Chopper answered. "I thought…for a moment…I saw Doctor Kureha."

XXX

Nami panted as she ran through town, calling out Aika's name.

"AIKA! AIKA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Before long, she spots her, as well as the many children that had gathered in the mist with her.

"Aika, thank goodness!" Nami said as she was about to go and get her…but as she drew closer, she spotted something before the children. She couldn't make out any distinguishing features, exactly, but as she squinted, she knew there was not a doubt in her mind.

"Is that…a ship?" the navigator questioned, but as she was about to go and get a closer look, a deep, unearthly growl sounds off behind her. Nami turns…and she sees a huge, shadowy beast with glowing red eyes. Its mouth opens, revealing rows of sharp, glistening fangs, as several tails lash around behind it like vicious whips.

"Oh, my god…!" Nami whispers in horror as the creature raises it paw, revealing 5 five sharp claws. She gasps before she narrowly dodges the swipe and makes a run for the ship, which Aika begins to board along with the children.

"Aika!" she calls out. "Stop! Don't get on that ship!"

For a moment, Aika seems to freeze before she glances back, the shine in her eyes appearing.

"…Big Sis…?" she whispers.

Nami gasps, a smile appearing on her face, but before she can reach the six-year-old, the monster appears before Nami, roaring at her before swiping its claws at her again. The navigator swiftly reacts, putting together her Sorcery Clima-Tact in the blink of an eye before using it to block the creature's attack. She grunted, straining to hold the beast back, but she cast a glance at Aika while doing so, and when she saw her starting to board the ship again, she knew she couldn't hold off this…whatever it is forever.

' _Luffy, where are you!?'_ she thought.

XXX

Luffy, still wedged in the doorway, grunted as he kept trying to pull himself out with Blizzard and even Tarragon pushing on his backside, but still, they could not get Luffy unstuck.

"Keep pushing!" Luffy said. "I think I moved a bit!"

" _Luffy, it's no use!"_ Blizzard said. _"You just won't budge!"_

"Hang on, kid!" said Tarragon before he rushed behind the counter. "I think I might have something that'll do the trick!"

"Hurry up, Pops!" Luffy cried. "My sister's in trouble!"

The old-timer soon returned, holding a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. He opened the cap and poured some on Luffy's sides.

"Okay, pooch," said Tarragon. "Try pushing him out, now."

Blizzard nodded before he backed up quite a ways before he dashed toward Luffy and butted his head right into his rump, thus causing the Straw Hat Captain to go rolling head-over-heels out of the doorway, knocking over a bunch of trashcans like they were bowling pins, and finally crashing against a wall. As the dust cleared, it revealed Luffy, now slimmed down to his regular figure, lying with his head against the ground and his bottom up in the air, and his eyes in a comically dizzy state.

" _You all right, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Right as rain…!" Luffy slurred.

" _Good,"_ Blizzard said. _"Now get off your ass- err- head, get on my back, and let's go find Nami and Aika!"_

"Right!" Luffy said before he hopped to his feet, climbed up on Blizzard's back, and took off.

"Godspeed to you!" Tarragon called after them.

XXX

Nami cried out as she kept dodging the attacks of the monster, but it was clear that she couldn't hold her own forever.

"Black Ball Raiun Rod!" she shouted before she released a chain of Thundercloud Weather Balls, which burst, unleashing a powerful lightning current at the beast, but it quickly vanished into the mist, dodging the navigator's attack.

"Where'd it go?!" Nami asked, looking around for it. "Did it run away?!"

Just then, she remembered Aika, and momentarily detached her weapon before running to grab her again. By now, she saw that that Wolf Girl was already on board.

"Aika!" Nami cried. "Wait, don't get on that ship-"

 **SHUNK!** Nami gasped, blood bubbling up from her throat and seeping out of her lips…as something pierced through her right side and out her stomach. Then, whatever had pierced her was quickly removed, and soon after, the shadowy beast prowled forth from the mist…boarding the ship along with the children…and Aika.

Nami panted, the pain from her wound beginning to take full effect on her body as blood pooled around her.

"A…Aika…!" she said in barely whisper...as the mist begins to disappear around her, the streets and sky returning to their normal pallor.

Just then, she hears the faint sound of large paws thumping against the ground, followed by a horrified gasp.

"Nami! Oh, my god!"

As the world around Nami began to fade to darkness, the navigator could make out two familiar sandal-sporting feet rushing to her side, as well as four snowy white paws.

"Nami! Nami!" Luffy's voice called out as she felt his arms gently pick her up. "What happened?! Where's Aika?!"

"I'm…sorry…Luffy…"

"Nami?! Nami! Nami, wake up! NAMIIIIII!"

XXX

She could hear the sound of the churning sea…the squawking of seagulls…and she could feel the salty ocean breeze wafting against her face.

Aika groaned as her eyes began to open and she sat up on her knees, rubbing her eyes. As she looked around…she found herself, sitting amongst many other sleeping children, at least 20 of them. She gasped silently as she jumped to her feet and looked around, nervously.

"W-what is this?" she whispered. "What are these kids doing here?"

That's when she noticed something else: Kumi wasn't with her.

"Kumi?" she asked, looking around her. "Kumi, where are you?"

No answer. Not even a yip.

Aika whimpers worriedly before she carefully steps over the kids and heads outside. She shields her eyes from the bright sun for a moment before she lets them adjust. As she opens her eyes again, she gasps as she realizes that she is indeed NOT on board the _Thousand Sunny_. Instead, she found herself on board the deck of a ship with a red fox's face for a figurehead, and the aft is shaped like 9 lashing tails. Aika's breath hitches as she looks up and sees a black flag, sporting a nine-tailed fox, growling viciously with two crossbones behind it.

' _W-where am I?'_ Aika thought. _'What is this place?! Where are Big Brother, Big Sis Nami, Kumi, and everyone else?!'_

"Oh, you're awake!"

The little girl gasps as she turns and sees a beautiful woman, about the same age as Robin, wearing a mahogany blouse, pink leggings, a pair of brown, pointy boots, long, dark brown gloves, a dark red bicorn hat with a lavender feather plume on it, long, curly, maroon hair that reached down to her ankles, and a black eye patch over her right eye.

"I didn't expect you to wake up so soon," said the woman. "Normally, everyone's awake when we get home."

Aika just stands there, glancing around in a panic.

"Are you all right, dear?" asked the woman.

"No, I'm not!" Aika cried. "W-where am I?! Who are you?! What's going on?!"

"Shh~!" the woman shushes gently as she begins to pet Aika's head. "There, there, dear. Everything's fine, trust me."

The Wolf Girl didn't know why…but with each stroke of the head, she begin to feel a bit calmer.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here," said the woman, "and I'll answer those questions in due time. For now, just relax and enjoy the ride, okay?"

"…Yes, ma'am," Aika answered.

"Good girl," the woman smiled, softly. "Don't you worry about a thing. Miss Anya's gonna make sure you feel right at home, all right?"

"Who's Miss Anya?" Aika asked.

The woman chuckled, smiling at Aika sweetly.

"You're looking at her, dear," she said. "I'm Miss Anya."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry I took so long with this and that it's a little short. And just so you know, NO, Nami is not dead (heaven forbid).

Review, please!


	4. Ch 3- Chasing the Culprit

**Ch. 3- Chasing the Culprit**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

"Guys! Nami's awake!"

Luffy gasped as he stood up and headed into the hospital room, followed by the rest of the Straw Hats. In the room, he saw Chopper, holding Nami's hand as the navigator awoke, her stomach wrapped up in bandages. Kumi sat on the foot of the bed, looking at her worriedly.

"Nami!" Luffy cried as he ran to her side.

"Nami, are you all right?!" Sanji asked as he also came to her side.

"Don't crowd her all at once!" Chopper exclaimed. "Give her some space!"

"Unh…!" Nami groaned. "W-where am I?"

"We're in the town hospital," Robin answered. "We couldn't get you to the ship fast enough, so we brought you here, and it took at least 100 stitches to close that big wound of yours. Are you all right, Nami?"

"I…I think so," Nami replied before she gasped. "Wait! Where's Aika?! I have to-"

"Nami…it's too late," Zoro spoke up. "She's gone."

Nami gasped again before she covered her eyes and sobbed, prompting Luffy to wrap his arms around her. Kumi whimpered as Robin held her.

' _Aika,'_ Kumi thought.

"Luffy, I'm so sorry!" she whispered. "I tried, but I-"

"Don't blame yourself," Luffy said as he put his hat on her head. "You were attacked before you could get to her. It's not your fault."

"Actually, it kind of is," Usopp muttered, but Zoro, Sanji, Franky, Blizzard, and Brook shushed him. "What?! It is!"

"You don't just say it so bluntly, you moron!" Zoro barked.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is!" Luffy shouted. "What matters is getting Aika back and kicking the ass of the bastard who took her and attacked Nami!"

"Nami," Robin said, "did you see who attacked you?"

"There was so much mist, I couldn't see too well," Nami replied. "All I remember seeing is glowing red eyes, claws, and…lots of tails."

"Glowing red eyes, claws, and lots of tails?" Chopper asked, nervously. "Sounds like a monster to me!"

"Yohohoho…!" Brook chortled, nervously. "Scary…!"

' _Oh, great,'_ Kumi thought. _'Just what I need: Aika getting abducted by a monster!'_

"Oh, wait!" Nami exclaimed. "I remember seeing something else! I saw Aika and lots of other kids getting on board a ship!"

"A ship?!" Luffy questioned.

"Yeah," Nami nodded. "I couldn't tell what kind of ship it was, but it was definitely shaped like one."

"Do you remember any other details?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah," Nami replied. "When I looked, I saw a flag. It was black, and I saw a nine-tailed fox on it with crossbones behind it."

"A pirate ship, eh?" Franky mused. "That settles it. The culprit's obviously some kind of pirate with Devil Fruit powers or something."

"Then we're going after this bastard!" Luffy shouted.

"Let's hurry, then," Nami said as she prepared to get out of bed.

"No, Nami!" Chopper cried as he gently pushed her back down. "We'll go after whoever kidnapped Aika, but you need to stay here and rest!"

"Forget it!" Nami barked. "I'm Aika's older sister! I'm just as responsible for her as Luffy is! Besides, you guys need me if we're gonna be chasing after this pirate! I'm the navigator! Without me, you'll all be toast!"

"I wouldn't, if I were you."

The Straw Hats turned to see Tarragon enter the room.

"Tarra Pops?" Luffy asked. "What are you doing here?"

"When I heard you were attacked, I decided to come and check on you young'uns," said Tarragon. "Looks like you're alive. The last person who got attacked…they didn't make it."

"Are you saying this happened before, old man?" Sanji asked.

"Yep," Tarragon answered. "Whenever someone tried to follow the children, they're attacked by a mysterious monster. Only thing is, this beast doesn't eat its victims. Instead, it just leaves someone for dead. You got off lucky, girl. Normally, someone's dead by the time help arrives."

"Well, I think you should know your worries are over, old man," Franky said. "We found out who's really been taking the kids. It's not a monster. It's some pirate."

"Yeah!" Chopper said. "Nami said she saw a ship in the mist, and the kids were all getting on board!"

"Now that we know who's behind this, we can chase them down!" Usopp added.

"Don't!" Tarragon barked, much to everyone's shock. "It's…it's foolhardy to go after whoever did this."

"…Sir, if I may," Robin started, "could it be that you tried to pursue the culprit?"

"Of course I did," the old timer answered. "I tried to go after them to get my grandkids back, but on my way, I was caught in a huge whirlpool! I was lucky to escape with my life!"

"Sounds familiar," Luffy muttered.

"That's why I'm saying it's foolhardy to go after whoever did this!" Tarragon shouted. "Wherever this person is going, the whole sea is fraught with those things!"

"Well, you know what?!" Luffy questioned. "I don't give a damn about whirlpools or anything like that! I'm going after my sister!"

Tarragon gasped as he saw the fire in the Straw Hat Captain's eyes.

"As if I'd give up on looking for her because of something so little, like that," he went on. "Aika's not just my sister, she's a member of my crew, and no matter what, I _never_ abandon one of my own! And if you were so scared that you gave up on looking for your own grandkids, then that's something that only a _coward_ would do!"

Tarragon froze while Blizzard, Sanji, and Zoro sighed.

' _There he goes, being blunt, again,'_ Blizzard thought.

"It never fails," Zoro muttered.

"What a guy," Sanji added.

"Come on!" Luffy shouted to the rest of the Straw Hats. "We're leaving!"

"Right," everyone said as they all filed out of the room.

"Can you manage, Nami?" Chopper asked, holding Nami in his Heavy Point form.

"Yeah, I think so," Nami answered. "Thanks, Chopper."

As everyone left, Tarragon just stood there…before he sighed and scratched at the back of his neck.

"…I'm a coward, huh?" he muttered to himself.

XXX

"Unfurl the sails! Weigh anchor!"

Zoro and Brook untied the sails while Franky pulled up the _Sunny's_ paw anchors.

"All set up here!" Brook called.

"The anchors are up, too!" Franky added.

"Whenever you're ready, Captain," Sanji said, standing at the helm, while Luffy stood next to him, but as just as he was about to give the order to set sail, Blizzard approached him from behind and nudged his back.

" _Hey, Luffy,"_ Blizzard said. _"Don't you think you were a little too harsh on that old man?"_

"I meant what I said," Luffy answered. "You know I hate people who don't have the guts to back something up if they wanted to."

" _I get that,"_ Blizzard replied, _"but Luffy, he lost his grandchildren, and nearly died trying to get them back."_

"I lost someone close to me, too, Blizzard," Luffy said. "You know because _you_ were there…but I didn't give up, did I?"

The wolf-dog sighed and shook his head.

" _I guess not,"_ he whispered.

"Hey, boy!"

Luffy turned to see Tarragon, standing near the ship with a serious glare in his eyes.

"It's the old man, again," Usopp said.

"What is it?!" Luffy asked.

"…It's true," Tarragon spoke. "I am a coward…but even cowards can have _hope_."

Everyone stared at him in surprise.

"Old Man Tarragon," Nami whispered, holding onto Chopper, who held her piggyback style.

"So…I ask you this," Tarragon said…as he got down on his hands and knees. "If you really are going after this person who spirited away the island's children in search of your sister…then please…rescue my grandkids, as well!"

A pause…but then Luffy turned away, causing Tarragon to gasp silently.

"Luffy…" Nami muttered in concern.

Just then, Luffy grinned.

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll get 'em back for you."

Tarragon gasped in surprise.

"And not just Aika and your grandkids," Luffy continued, "but all the other kids, too! We'll get them _all_ back!"

"Straw Hat…!" Tarragon whispered as tears formed in his eyes before he bowed his head. "Thank you! Thank you, so much!"

The rest of the Straw Hats smiled at their captain.

' _This is one of the many reasons why I love him so much,'_ Nami thought.

"All right!" Luffy exclaimed. "Everyone ready?! Then…SET SAIL~!"

"RIGHT!" the Straw Hats shouted before the _Sunny_ sailed away towards the horizon while Tarragon watched them.

' _I never thought I'd see the day,'_ he thought, _'that pirates_ _would help this pitiful town.'_

As the Straw Hats continued to sail off in the direction the kidnapper sailed off in, Luffy stood on the nose of the figurehead, his arms crossed and a determined expression on his face.

"…We're coming, Aika," Luffy whispered. "Just hang in there."

XXX

Meanwhile, on Anya's ship, Aika stood next to the woman, and by now, the other children had woken up, too. It was a bit of a shock for them, though, because behind them is a ring of giant whirlpools. It was a miracle they had managed to get passed them at all.

"That was really scary," said Aika.

"Yes, it was," answered Anya, "but it's over now, child."

"Uh…Miss Anya?" Aika asked. "Where exactly are we going?"

"We're going home, dear," Anya replied, the same sweet smile on her face.

"But…where is home?" asked a boy about Aika's age with dark brown hair and freckles on his face.

"There," Anya said, pointing ahead, and everyone followed her finger to see an island come into view. It had large forests and even giant toadstools, but what really stood out was a giant tree with windows in the bark.

The children all gasped in awe, their eyes taking on a look of whimsy and amazement.

"What is this place?" Aika asked.

"This…is Paradise," Anya answered.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Yeah, this is a relatively short chapter, but at least the plot's moving along a bit, right?

Also, I apologize for not updating like I should, but 1st, real life is a bitch, and second...I've been getting back into Inuyasha lately. ^^;

So anyway, review please!


	5. Ch 4- Welcome to Kinderinsel

**Ch. 4- Welcome to Kinderinsel**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Anya, and other characters © Me

* * *

Aika and the children around her stared in awe at the sight that laid before their eyes. The island, seeming untouched by mankind, save for the giant tree with windows in it, was truly a sight to behold as the ship drew closer to its shores. As soon as the vessel hit the shoreline, the gangplank is lowered, and the children filed off, marveling at what they were seeing.

"…It's…amazing…!" Aika whispered.

"I call it 'Kinderinsel'," said Anya as she came to stand beside. "Before I came here, it was a savage land…but I made it into a paradise using my own two hands."

"Why?" Aika asked.

"…Everywhere I go, I see children, lost and alone in these waters," Anya answered, sadly. "For some…help normally comes too little or too late. I wanted to change that. I wanted to bring hope to those who have gone astray…to become what most children had lost…a mother…a guardian…a savior. That's why I go out and travel across the seas…I look for children who have no family to call their own…and bring them here to raise them as mine."

"…So…the children you bring here are mostly orphans?" Aika asked.

"That's right," Anya replied, "and some not…but I'm able to see the pain they carry in their hearts…I bring them to Kinderinsel to ease their pain."

"Wow," Aika whispered. "It looks…beautiful!"

"Thank you, dear," Anya said. "Now then, I'll have Ginger show you around."

"Ginger?" Aika repeated. "Who's Ginger?"

"I'm Ginger."

Aika turned around to see a girl with long, light brown, curly hair that is tied up in a ponytail by a yellow band, a dark red eye, the left eye covered by bangs, a light blue dress, and her feet bare. Judging by her height and the pitch of her voice, she had to be about 11, at least.

"Welcome to Kinderinsel," said the girl. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Ginger is the oldest of the children here on the island," Anya said. "I rescued her, many years ago, and she's been living here with me, ever since."

"Hi, Ginger," Aika said, smiling warmly in greeting. "My name is Aika."

Ginger smiled and nodded.

"All right, everyone!" called Anya, getting the children's attention. "Ginger is going to show you around, now. Stay close to her and don't wander off, all right?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the children answered, cheerily, and soon, Ginger led them to a wall of rock. However, she pulled back some overgrown vines, revealing a door on the other side. She opens it, revealing a dark tunnel, the walls lined up with lit oil lanterns.

"Single file, everybody," said Ginger as she led the children along. As they walked, Aika looked back to the children lined up behind her, then to the children in front.

' _I saw some of these kids today,'_ the young D-carrier thought. _'Are they really orphans?'_

She stopped her inner monologue when she saw that they had reached the end of the tunnel and are now climbing up a ladder. Aika soon followed suit, and at the top, she could see a bright light. As she drew nearer, the light shined brighter until she broke through. She had to shield her eyes at first, but when she opened them again…she gasped in awe.

She saw many children, running around, laughing and playing in fresh, green summer grass, butterflies fluttering all around, and even little squirrels and birds, sitting amongst the children, actually eating nuts and seeds out of their hands. In the center of it all is the giant tree she saw earlier.

"Brothers and sisters!" Ginger called out. "Miss Anya has brought new friends for us!"

Soon, the children gathered around the newcomers, chattering all at once.

"Everyone," said Ginger, "make sure to treat our new brothers and sisters nicely, okay? They'll gonna be living with us for a while."

"Yes, Big Sister Ginger!" said the welcoming committee.

"Wow," Aika said. "You guys sure pull out all the stops, huh?"

"We sure do," Ginger replied as she began to lead and the rest of the newcomers to the giant tree, where a door sits at its base. "We make sure to make all the newcomers feel welcome here. Give them the comforts of home, you know?"

As she kept speaking, she opened the door, revealing a brightly lit hallway.

"This tree is very old," said Ginger. "It's been here for more than 900 years, and it's actually still alive and growing. Miss Anya carved out the insides herself so she could make a house out of this place. There's plenty of room inside for everyone."

"This tree?!" Aika asked.

"That's right," replied Ginger. "C'mon. I'll give you the grand tour."

With that, she started to lead the group around the insides of the tree, first into a large room with a wood-burning oven and a HUGE stove, as well as many pots, pans, and plates, plus a store room with many barrels of preserved food.

"This is the kitchen," Ginger said. "Miss Anya works here almost all day and night to provide us all our meals."

"It's huge!" Aika said. "It's as big as the kitchen on the _Sunny_!"

"Moving on!" Ginger called as she walked further down the hallway and stopped in front of another, filled with many long tables and chairs but high and short. "Here's the dining room, where we eat the food Miss Anya prepares for us."

"Whoa, look at it!" said a boy standing next to Aika.

"Yeah, it looks so fancy!" said a girl, about 5 years old, with short black hair.

Ginger then led the group upstairs, where they turned to the room to their right. Inside, there are shelves among shelves of books and maps lining the walls. There were also other children inside, reading books, among them being a familiar glasses-wearing boy that Robin had seen in the photo at Arthur's book store, only he looked a bit older, and instead of wearing that school uniform, he had on a black shirt with a white owl on the front, a pair of red shorts, and a pair of dark brown shoes, as well as a pair of light blue, knee-high socks.

"This is the library," said Ginger. "Here, we come to read and have bit of quiet time to ourselves. Miss Anya often comes to read to us as well."

They soon moved on to the next room, where they found other children, running around, playing with blocks, stuffed animals, toy cars, and others. The children in here seemed younger than most, about 2 or 3 years, but they were under the watchful eyes of other kids who are at least 3 or 4 more years older than they are.

"This is the play room," said Ginger. "Here, the youngest of our brothers and sisters stay to play in here, but only if someone's watching them. Miss Anya is a very good woman, but even she doesn't have eyes on the back of her head."

' _This room,'_ thought Aika. _'It's almost like the Biscuits Room on Punk Hazard, only there are no giant kids, here.'_

Soon, Ginger led the kids away to another set of stairs, taking them all the way up until they reached several doors and hallways.

"All these hallways and doors connect to the bedrooms here," Ginger told them. "There at least thirty rooms, and all of these rooms have at 12 beds each. There are also extra cots, blankets, and pillows."

Aika looked around until she spotted another set of stairs, this one leading up to a door with the letter A on the front and the same nine-tailed fox on Anya's flag. Curious, the wolf girl attempted to go up the stairs, but she is suddenly grabbed and gently pulled back.

"No, Aika!" Ginger said. "Don't go up there! That's Miss Anya's bedroom, and we're not allowed to go in there!"

"We're not?" Aika asked. "Why?"

"It's one of the rules," Ginger answered. "We follow a distinct set of rules here. Rule number one: no going into Miss Anya's room. Rule number two: always be nice to everyone. Rule number three, and most important: never leave your rooms after bedtime, which is always at 7 o'clock at night."

"That's kind of early," Aika said.

"Children need their sleep," Ginger rebuked.

"Hey, Ginger!" called a boy with mint green eyes and light blue hair. "What's this over here?"

Everyone turned to see the boy pointing to a stone statue of a nine-tailed fox.

"Oh, that's Kyuubi!" Ginger exclaimed. "He's the guardian god of Kinderinsel."

"God?" Aika asked.

' _Big Brother beat up a god, once,'_ she thought.

"Kyuubi is the spirit that watches over this island," Ginger said, folding her hands together and closing her eyes, as if in prayer. "He protects us from people who want to hurt us. In fact, he even saved Miss Anya once! When she was lost at sea, separated from her family, she heard his voice and brought her to the shores of this island. She's been living off the land ever since."

"Wow…so he's one of those benevolent gods, huh?" Aika asked.

"He really is," Ginger replied. "We are forever indebted to Kyuubi. He allows to stay here and gives us protection…for almost nothing at all except our safety and happiness."

As the 11-year-old spoke, Aika felt her Observation Haki tingle a bit. She didn't know why…but she couldn't help but feel like Ginger wasn't really telling the group everything about Kyuubi. The question was…what was it?

"Anyway," Ginger started, "that concludes the tour! Please, enjoy yourselves for as long as you stay here! Miss Anya will be making a grand feast for everyone, soon, and she'll make sure that there's enough for all of us!"

Hearing that caused the children to break into cheers…everyone except for Aika.

' _I don't know why,'_ she thought, _'but I just feel so suspicious about this.'_

As she was about to open her mouth to speak… **KABOOM!** A huge explosion shook the whole tree, causing shrieks of terror to erupt from some of the half-pints.

"What was that?!" Aika questioned.

"Oh, no," Ginger muttered. "Not him, again…!"

"Wait, 'him'?!" Aika asked. "Who's 'him'?!"

Without another word, the older brunette rushed outside, forcing Aika to run after her, shifting into her Wolf Form as she did. After running down the flights of stairs, the two made it outside of the tree and saw some of the children, stampeding inside, running away from a large cloud of smoke.

As Aika looked up, she spotted a boy with long, spiky, jade green hair, dark red eyes, and a furry collar of some kind around his neck. His chest is bare, but his abdomen is surprisingly well-built, but there also appeared to be various scars on his flesh. In fact, most of his whole body, from head-to-toe, seemed to be made of scar tissue than regular skin, all made by some kind of blade. His feet are also bare, and he wears nothing else except a pair of black pants with rips on the side. In each of his hands is a hook sword, the blades made with iron and bronze hand guards.

The boy sat atop the wall of stone, glaring down at the other children like a hawk would stare down its prey.

"Who is that?!" Aika asked.

"It's Cilantro," Ginger answered, "my older twin brother!"

"Huh?!" Aika questioned in surprise. "Brother?!"

"If he's here," Ginger began, clutching her chest, "then that means that they're with him!"

Soon after she said this, several other children, girls and boys alike, appeared, all of them donning the same manner of attire as the green-haired boy, armed with swords, spears, bows and arrows, and even flintlocks.

"Cilantro, what are you doing here?!" Ginger asked.

"What do you think, sis?" asked Cilantro. "I'm here to kill Anya and drive everyone off this island!"

He then put his index and middle finger in his mouth, letting out a sharp whistle, and soon after he did so, the children at his side started jumping down from the wall and charging at the tree.

"Attack the tree!" shouted Cilantro. "Steal whatever you can, but don't kill anyone! Remember that!"

One child, a girl with maroon hair, held up some sort of ball with a string attack, but as she lit a match and put the flame to the string, it wasn't really a string at all, but a fuse, which hissed loudly before she threw it at the tree. **BOOM!** The bomb exploded, blowing the door off it's hinges, and soon after, the troublemakers ran inside, grabbing whatever they could find.

"No!" cried Ginger as the weapon-wielding children came out with bags, crates, and barrels. "Wait, stop! Please, come back with those! We need them!"

"What's he doing?!" Aika asked.

"He does this every time newcomers arrive at the island!" Ginger answered. "My brother always tries to drive everyone away by any means necessary and then attempts to kill Miss Anya whenever he sees her! I don't know why, but he…he…ngh…!"

Suddenly, the 11-year-old froze and clutched at her chest tightly until she dropped to her knees, whimpering in pain.

"Ginger?!" Aika asked, worriedly. "Ginger, what's wrong?!"

"M…my heart…!" Ginger answered, weakly. "It…it hurts…!"

Just then, a sigh escaped Ginger's lips…and she fell motionless.

"Ginger?!" Aika asked as she tried to shake her awake. "Hey! Ginger, wake up! Ginger!"

Cilantro gasped silently as he also took notice of this and jumped down from the wall, dropping his serious demeanor.

"Ginger!" he cried. "Are you okay?!"

Just before he could reach her, a shadowy figure jumped in his way, holding a pair of cutlasses, one in each hand. **KA-KLANG!** Cilantro found himself locking blades with Anya, who still retained that sweet smile on her face, but the boy could see a bit of wickedness in it…and so could Aika.

"Oh, dear!" Anya exclaimed. "Causing trouble again, are we, Cilantro? Just look at the stress you caused to your poor twin sister!"

"Shut up, you bitch!" Cilantro barked, trying to push Anya back. "It's your fault that Ginger's like this, anyway!"

 **KLANG! KLASH! KLANK!** Cilantro and Anya continued to clash their blades, the latter jumping away from the former to get more ground. Anya made a grunt as she threw her cutlass down, but Cilantro crossed his hooked blades, blocking her strike. He then jumped away and used his blades to fling stones and dirt at her, only for the woman to block the projectiles.

"Oh, come now," said Anya as she ran at Cilantro and slashed at him, only for him to block her swords again. "All this needless violence, and for what? Why don't you just admit you're wrong and come back with me! My home is always open for you and your friends!"

"Never!" Cilantro barked as he pushed her away. "We'll never go back to you!"

"So be it, then," said Anya, her grin growing more and more wicked. "Oh, Aika, dearest!"

"Y-yes?" Aika asked.

"Be a good girl and please take Ginger inside," Anya told her. "I'll tend her as soon as I'm done playing with Cilantro, here, all right?"

"Uh…y-yeah, okay!" Aika answered before she began to drag Ginger inside.

"Now then, Cilantro," Anya started…her eyes beginning to flash red, "you always know how this ends, so you have two choices: either you apologize and I'll let your and your friends come back to live with me, or I send you flying…and this time, you may not leave this place whole. I might accidentally chop off one of your legs or arms…maybe even your head, and I can set that up on a spear outside the wall as a warning to all the other rebels. So…which is it?"

"You can kiss my ass," Cilantro cursed, pointing his sword at her with a hateful glare. "I'll never surrender to you!"

"Boss!" cried one of Cilantro's members. "Get away from her! This time, she might really kill you!"

"Get outta there!" cried another member, a girl with short blonde hair and a patch over her right eye.

"Listen here, you lying witch!" Cilantro barked. "I'll never bow to you or this 'Kyuubi' god of yours! I spit on all the statues of that mutt! You may have these poor kids fooled into thinking your their savior, but you can't fool me or my friends! We see you for what you _r_ e _ally_ are!"

"… … …" Anya was silent.

XXX

Up in the tree, Aika grunted as she pulled Ginger into the bedrooms and laid her on a bed.

"There you go, Ginger," she said. "Don't worry. Miss Anya will help you feel better…I hope."

She then went over to a window and saw that Anya and Cilantro are still locked in confrontation.

"They're still fighting out there," Aika whispered…but then she gasped silently. "W-what is this? I feel a really intense aura coming from Miss Anya."

As Aika kept watching…for a moment, she could've sworn she saw something behind Anya; a red, glowing mass of some sort, taking a canine-like shape. The wolf girl gasped and blinked her eyes…but whatever was there had disappeared.

"W-what was that?" Aika asked. "For a moment…I thought I saw a giant fox standing behind her…!"

XXX

"You see me for what I am, you say?" Anya asked, a dark look in her eyes. "Oh, Cilantro…I really wish you hadn't said that."

She looked up at him…as the sky began to turn dark and the wind start swirling around her.

"I was ready to take you back…but I'm afraid now…I cannot let you live. You better hope that you survive this one…because if you don't, Ginger won't forgive me."

Behind him, Cilantro could hear his friends shouting at him…their voices thick with fear.

"Boss, run away! She's about to use that move again!"

"Hurry and run!"

"We gotta fall back, Boss!"

Anya raised the cutlass in her right hand, the wind begin to swirl around the blade…which flashed a deep crimson.

"Begone…trash," she whispered. "HOCHROT WHIRLWIND!"

 **WHAM! FWOOOOOSH!** Anya slammed her sword down, creating a gigantic whirlwind that spun wildly towards Cilantro, who held up his hook swords, attempting to stop the blast…but it was all for naught. The whirlwind hit him dead on…the blades of his swords snapping in two as Cilantro screamed in agony, feeling almost every inch of his body getting sliced, blood pouring from every open wound!

 **THWAM!** The boy is soon thrown into the stone wall before he fell down, the blood starting to pool around him.

"BOSS!" Cilantro's friends cried as they jumped down and surrounded him.

From up in the tree, Aika's eyes were wide with shock…and horror.

' _She's…so strong…!'_ she thought.

"Boss! Boss!" cried a boy with a snake tattoo on his arm. "Can you hear me?!"

"…F…fall…back…!" Cilantro croaked.

The rebels gasped before they quickly gather up their leader and began to climb back up the wall.

"Hear me, you rebel trash!" Anya shouted after them. "Don't ever set foot here again…because the next time I see you here, it will be our last encounter! Do you hear me?! To protect my children, I will slaughter anyone…even you!"

A pause…but then the rebels fled. Not long after, the sky returned to its normal blue color and Anya heaved a sigh before she returned to her normally sweet, happy expression.

"Oh, children!" she called as she turned to the tree. "You can all come out, now! Those bullies are gone now, and I've made certain that they will never return here again!"

Not long after she exclaimed this, the children all rushed out and surrounded her, their cheers filling the air.

"That was amazing!"

"You did it again, Miss Anya! You stopped the rebels again!"

"That wind thing you did was so cool!"

"Yeah, and you used that to save us! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me, dearies," said Anya as she pet the children surrounding her feet. "Thank Kyuubi. It was he who granted me the power to protect you all…otherwise, I'd just be an ordinary woman."

"H-hey," Aika said, "who were those kids, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about, Aika," said Anya. "Just a bunch of troublesome rebels. They were rather naughty, you see, so I had no choice but to banish them into the forest."

"…That boy, Cilantro," Aika pointed out, "he was bleeding pretty bad…he's not gonna die out there, is he?"

"Don't you worry about him," Anya assured. "Cilantro's actually pretty tough for someone his age. It's not really the first time he's been hit with that attack. I'm sure he'll just shake this off like he does every time. Hopefully, though, this will teach him a lesson about picking on others."

'… _For someone who seems to like kids a lot,'_ Aika thought, _'she seems to be taking this a bit too lightly.'_

"Umm…Miss Anya?" asked a little girl with bobbed, navy blue hair and turquoise eyes. "They still managed to steal from us, anyway. Does that mean the feast is off?"

"Oh, of course not, child!" Anya reassured. "There's still plenty for everyone! I'll make sure of that!"

Hearing this caused the children to cheer again…except for Aika, who looked at Anya suspiciously.

' _Something just isn't right here,'_ she thought. _'If I learned anything from my time on Punk Hazard…it's that you never trust a grownup who seems too nice.'_

"Now then," Anya started as she headed to the tree, "it seems that poor Ginger has passed out from the shock again, so I have to tend to her before I do any cooking. In the meantime, why don't you all go and play? I'll call when the feast is ready."

"Yes, Miss Anya!" the children exclaimed.

"Y-yes, Miss Anya," Aika said.

' _I hav_ e no choice,' she thought. _'I gotta play along…hopefully, Big Brother and everyone else will find me soon.'_

XXX

Meanwhile, out at sea, the _Thousand Sunny_ is still sailing over the waters. Up on the figurehead sits Luffy, a determined look in his eyes as he stares forward while Franky steers the ship.

"Luffy!" Nami called. "I see it! There's an island up ahead! That must be where Aika is!"

"No sign of whirlpools, though!" Usopp added.

"Keep your eyes peeled, anyway!" Luffy ordered, his eyes still looking forward.

'… _I'm coming, sis,'_ he thought. _'Hang on, just a little bit longer…Big Brother's on his way!'_

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

First off, I am SO SORRY for not updating after so long. Truth is, not only has InuYasha come back into my life, but I was actually gonna update something yesterday, BUT WITHOUT WARNING, SOME STUPID MAINTENANCE PEOPLE SHUT OFF ALL OUR POWER ALL DAMN DAY, and not just me, but everyone in my apartment complex! Could not talk to ANYONE online! I was going to lose my f*cking mind! But by the time power came back on, I was too tired to do anything, so I just went to sleep.

I'm sorry to everyone that I've worried.

Second, I'd like to thank Ego-Man25 from DeviantART who suggested the name of the island to me. "Kinderinsel" literally means "child island" since Anya is a German name, and hochrot means "crimson", hence the name "Crimson Whirlwind".

So, there you go. Dressrosa will be up in about three days, depending on how fast I work.

Review, please! And no flames.


	6. Ch 5- A Promise to a Friend

**Ch. 5- A Promise to a Friend**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

That evening, as the excitement of the earlier event began to die down, the children have all gathered into the dining hall, where Anya sits on a large wooden chair at one side of the room. On the tables are all kinds of different foods: bread, rice, don bowls, noodles, meat, pizza, and other things. Aika sat in between two other children, looking back at the door rather anxiously, while everyone else chattered loudly.

' _Where's Ginger?'_ she thought. _'It's been hours now, since I saw her…'_

"Children!" Anya called. "Eyes on me, please!"

The whole room went quiet, and Anya smiled as she raised a mug.

"My beloved children," she said. "You all mean so much to me, and it warms my heart to bring new members into our family…which is why I prepared this feast for us all…but let us not forget, it was not I who provided this meal, but the great Kyuubi, who protects us all."

"Praise Kyuubi!" the children exclaimed.

"Now, let us eat," Anya said, and soon, the children began to dig in. Aika seemed rather hesitant to eat, at first, but then a light rumble in her stomach seemed to convince her. So, she reached for some sugar cookies with strawberry jelly in the middle and took a bite, and the moment she did, she found herself beginning to stuff her face with other foods. As Aika ate, she felt a light tapping on her shoulder, and as she turned, she gasped upon seeing Ginger, smiling at her.

"Ginger!" Aika exclaimed happily. "You're okay!"

"Hi, Aika," said Ginger, smiling almost sadly. "I'm sorry. Did I worry you?"

"Yeah, you did!" said Aika. "What happened to you out there?! You collapsed!"

Ginger paused before she glanced around, watching the other kids eat their fill and Anya drinking her ale before she turned back to the younger girl.

"…Come with me," the auburn-haired girl answered. "I want to talk to you…alone."

Aika blinked curiously before she nodded, taking a few cookies and stuffing them in her pocket before she followed Ginger out of the room…seeming unaware that Anya's eye was following them.

XXX

In the hallway, Aika and Ginger walked up a set of stairs until the latter stopped in front of a window and opened it up.

"What are you doing?" asked Aika.

"Just come on," Ginger answered before she climbed out the window, and Aika soon followed, finding the older girl sitting on a giant branch of the tree…staring out towards the beautiful sea.

"Whoa…!" Aika whispered in awe before she soon went to join Ginger, sitting beside her. "It's beautiful!"

"I come out here every now and then," Ginger said. "It…relaxes me."

"The sea is so pretty," Aika said, "especially at night, huh?"

"Mm-hmm," Ginger hummed in agreement.

A panda owl sat inside a hole in the trunk of the tree, hooting softly.

"So," Aika started, "you had something to say to me, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Ginger remembered. "Well…you know the reason why I collapsed earlier, when my brother attacked?"

"Uh-huh," the young D. carrier nodded.

"Well, it's like this," said Ginger. "When I was 3 years old…I was diagnosed with a heart disease."

Aika gasped in horror upon hearing that.

"Since you were 3?!" she asked.

"That's right," Ginger nodded, grimly. "You see…if I get surprised or scared too badly, I get heart attacks…and that's why I collapse. Because of this…I don't really have much longer to live."

"Ginger…!" Aika whispered, sadly.

"It's all right," the 11-year-old assured. "I'll be fine. The thing is…I'm glad Miss Anya took me away from my home…I don't want my Grandpa to see me die when the time comes."

' _So she does have family,'_ Aika thought.

"Either way," Ginger started, "even if somehow, I do manage to survive my disease…my time on this island is almost up."

"Why do you say that?" Aika asked.

"It's like this," Ginger explained. "Every few years or so…Kyuubi appears to a chosen child in a dream…but when he does, it means he's coming to take the child away with him to the spirit world, so they can live on happily for the rest of their lives, there. Once that happens…the child will never return."

"He takes them away?" Aika asked. "How?"

"We don't know," Ginger answered. "Miss Anya just takes the chosen child deep into the forest…and after a while, we see this huge, red light shine…after that, Miss Anya comes back without the kid."

"…The light you see…is it Kyuubi's?" Aika inquired.

"Probably," Ginger replied. "When we see it, we just assume that Kyuubi had spirited the child away…and in a few more days, I'll be going to sleep with Kyuubi, too."

"But…but Ginger," Aika started, "aren't you afraid?!"

"I am," the older girl admitted, "but…honestly, I want him to take me away…I find this way better than dying from a heart attack. This way…there's no pain. It's probably like going into a deep sleep."

She then sighed sadly.

"Although," she started, "there is one thing I will regret."

"What is it?" Aika asked, worriedly.

"…Before I go," said Ginger, "I wanna see my brother Cilantro smile, just one more time. Ever since he and I first came here…all he's ever done is scowl…but I don't wanna see him that way, anymore…not before I go."

' _She's more worried about her brother than she is about herself,'_ Aika thought. _'Ginger…'_

All of a sudden, the six-year-old Honshu Wolf girl held Ginger's hand, tightly.

"Don't worry, Ginger," Aika told her with a determined expression. "I promise, I'll make the last few days you have left some meaning…and I promise, I'll bring Cilantro to you so you can see him smile again!"

"You mean it, Aika?" Ginger asked, her eyes beginning to shine. "Honestly?"

"Of course!" Aika answered. "After all, you're my friend, right?"

A pause…but then Ginger's lip trembled before her mouth upturned in a smile.

"Oh, Aika," she said before she embraced her, tightly. "Yes…yes, we are!"

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled, but then she looked out to the sea with a somewhat worried expression.

'… _I'm sorry, Big Brother,'_ she thought, _'but…it looks like you'll have to wait until I can come back.'_

XXX

Meanwhile, not too far from the island's shore… **SPLASH!** A familiar ship landed in the water, having fallen from several feet in the air.

It was none other than the _Thousand Sunny_ , and she is about to make landfall on Kinderinsel.

"We made it, at last," Nami said. "Good thinking, using the Coup de Burst to get over those whirlpools, Franky."

"Are you saying you doubted me?" Franky asked, sounding almost offended.

"Now that we're here, what's our next course of action?" Sanji asked.

"We need to think of a plan," Robin answered before she spotted a cave on the other side of the island. "There. We can hide in there for the time being."

"Good," Luffy said. "In the meantime, I'm gonna go ashore and look for Aika."

"Hey, are you sure that's a good idea?" Usopp asked. "What about that monster that attacked Nami?"

"It's not a monster, Usopp," Luffy answered. "It's probably some kinda Devil Fruit user. It's nothing I can't handle."

" _You want me to go with you, just in case?"_ Blizzard asked.

"No, Blizzard, I got this," Luffy said. "Really."

"Well, just since you're so prone to danger, anyway," Zoro started, "here." He handed Luffy a Mini Transponder Snail. "We may have faith in you, Luffy, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't worry, got that?"

"Thanks, man," Luffy said as they gave each other a high-five.

" _Luffy?"_

Luffy looked down to see Kumi approach him, looking up at him worriedly.

" _Bring Aika back safely,"_ said the little Akita. _"Okay?"_

"Of course, Kumi," Luffy said, petting her on the head gently.

"Be careful, okay?" Nami asked, putting her hands on her captain's shoulders. "We'll be here waiting."

"I'll be back soon," Luffy answered.

Once the crew moored the ship inside the cave, Luffy made his way out and sat upon a boulder, scanning the horizon.

"Let me see," he muttered. "If I were some kind of bad guy, hiding a bunch of kids, where would I stash 'em?"

He then spotted the tree out in the distance.

"Hmm…" he hummed. "That looks promising."

With that, Luffy made his way to the giant tree.

XXX

A little while later, the feast was over and Aika and Ginger are getting ready for bed. Anya stood in the doorway of the bedroom they had decided to share.

"Goodnight, you two," said the eye patch-sporting woman. "Let Kyuubi watch over you both as you sleep tonight."

"Goodnight, Miss Anya," Ginger said. "Thank you for letting Aika sleep in my room with me…it's really lonely in here."

"But of course, my sweet Ginger," Anya replied. "Anything for you, my sweet child."

Aika, now in her wolf form, yawned as she curled up next to Ginger, who held her close to her like a stuffed animal, and before long, the two began to fall asleep. Anya smiled before she turned off the lantern and left.

After a while, Aika's sensitive wolf ears perked, rousing her from her sleep. She looked up, her golden yellow eyes aglow and wide open as she soon became alert. She then glanced to Ginger, who breathed softly as she slumbered, before the wolf girl tried to pull herself out of the older one's grasp, trying her hardest not to wake her up. After a moment, Aika finally managed to wriggle herself free, but for good measure, she grabbed a pillow and slipped it under Ginger's arm.

"I'll be right back, Ginger," she whispered before she jumped down from the bed and padded out of the room, quiet as a cat, making her way down the twisting, turning corridors and stairways, passed the bedrooms, the library, the playroom, and the dining hall, until she finally reached a storage room…the door to which is strangely ajar, and she could hear a peculiar, yet somehow familiar noise coming from within. Just then, a single apple core rolled out of the room, followed by a bone stripped clean of any meat.

Aika gulped nervously before she made her way inside, where the noises increased in volume as the owner vigorously ate whatever food was in the storage, and as Aika reached up and turned on the lantern, she gasped in shock as light filled the room…and a familiar straw hat wearing face turned to look at her, his cheeks stuffed with bread, an apple in one hand and a leg of meat in the other.

"Big Brother!" Aika exclaimed happily.

Luffy gasped before swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Aika!" he cried as the wolf girl jumped into his arms, tackling him to the floor, causing him to laugh as she smothered him with wolf puppy licks.

"What are you doing here?" Aika asked.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Luffy asked. "I came to bring you back with me, of course! Nami, Kumi, and the others are here, too!"

"They are?" Aika asked.

"Of course they are!" Luffy answered. "How else do you think I got here? We used the Coup de Burst to get passed those whirlpools, too! Now come on! We can get out through this window!"

As Luffy prepared to use the aforementioned window, Aika's expression soon fell into one of unease.

"W-wait, Big Brother," she said to Luffy as he tried to climb out the window. "I have to tell you something."

"Whatever it is, it can wait until we get back to the ship," Luffy replied.

"No!" Aika said. "Big Brother…I have to tell you this, now."

Luffy blinked at his younger half-sister before he dropped down to the floor and turned to face her.

"…Big Brother," Aika started, "I can't go with you…not yet."

"What?!" Luffy questioned in shock. "B-but, Aika, why?!"

"…I made a new friend here," Aika answered. "Her name is Ginger…she's 11 years old, and she's the oldest kid here…but…"

"But what?" Luffy asked. "What's the matter?"

"…In a few days," Aika continued, "Ginger's gonna be spirited away by the guardian god of the island, Kyuubi."

"So?" Luffy asked, in his usual no-big-deal attitude. "We can just take her with us and-"

"No we can't!" Aika shouted, her voice suddenly starting to break. "It…it doesn't matter…! Big Brother…she's dying, anyway…!"

Hearing that caused the 19-year-old to gasp quietly.

"When Ginger was only 3 years old," Aika started, sniffling, "she was diagnosed with a heart disease…whenever she gets too worked up, she gets a heart attack!"

"Oh, god…!" Luffy whispered.

"She doesn't have long to live," Aika said as tears began to well up in her eyes. "She…she's got a brother, too…but he's fighting with the lady who brought me here. All Ginger wants is to see him smile one more time…and I promised her that I'd stay and make her last wish come true!"

Before long, she started sobbing while Luffy stood silently before her.

"Please, Big Brother! Please, lemme stay, just a bit longer! I know I just met her…but she's still my friend, and I made a promise! And you told me…you told me…that I should always keep my promises! Isn't that what you said?!"

A pause…but then Aika felt a gentle hand on her head. She looked up and saw Luffy, flashing her signature grin.

"I understand, Aika," he said. "You can stay, just a bit longer."

Aika gasped silently…but then she smiled at her older half-brother.

"Thank you, Big Brother…!" she whispered.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed as he embraced her.

"Is someone down there?"

"Oh, no…!" Aika gasped. "It's Miss Anya!"

"Miss who?" Luffy asked.

"Quick, Big Brother!" Aika cried. "Get out of here before she sees you!"

"O-okay!" Luffy said. "Oh, wait! Before I go!"

He handed Aika the Mini Transponder Snail that Zoro gave him, plus his Vivre Card.

"Hold on to these," Luffy said. "When you're ready to come back, just gives us a call and we'll wait for you."

"Okay," Aika answered.

With that, Luffy jumped out the window, and not long after, Anya entered the room, finding several empty barrels and Aika standing in the middle of the floor, looking up at her innocently.

"Aika?" Anya asked. "What are you doing in here, sweetheart?"

"Oh, me?" Aika asked. "I was…just getting a late night snack."

"I see," Anya muttered as she scanned the room, but then she noticed the open window. "Why is that window open?"

"Oh, an owl flew in," Aika replied, "but don't worry, I scared it off."

"Hmm…" Anya hummed, seeming unsure of the wolf girl's alibi. "If an owl was in here, where are its feathers?"

"Oh! Uh…" Aika mumbled. "There are no feathers because…because I threw them out!"

"…You threw them out?" Anya asked.

"That's right," Aika answered before she yawned. "Now, I gotta get back to bed. Goodnight, Miss Anya!"

With that, she left the room, and heaved a sigh of relief.

' _That was close,'_ she thought. _'I hope Big Brother gets back to everyone safely.'_

As for Anya, she went to the window to close it…but as she looked down outside, she saw something…or rather, someone, through the tall grass.

' _An owl, she says?'_ she thought. _'More like a rat…and I detest rats.'_

XXX

Concurrently, Luffy is walking through the tall grass, heading back to the _Sunny_. As he did, he chuckled a bit to himself.

"She really is turning out to be like me," he said…but then he froze, his Observation Haki suddenly kicking in. He turned around, taking a fighting stance…but soon, something jumped out: a little brown bunny rabbit.

Luffy blinked for a moment before he laughed at his own jumpiness and turned to leave.

"You're on edge, Luffy, old boy," he told himself. "You really gotta-"

 **SLASH!** The Straw Hat Captain gasped in pain as he felt something slice against his back, leaving a huge, bloody gash. For a moment, it seemed Luffy was going to collapse right then and there, but he managed to catch himself, gritting his teeth in pain, and as he turned around to face his attacker…he gasped upon seeing a shadowy creature with glowing red eyes and nine lashing tails.

"It's…it's you!" Luffy whispered…just as the beast lunged at him with jaws agape, revealing it's huge fangs.

XXX

Back at the _Sunny_ , the Straw Hats are sitting in the galley, awaiting their captain's return…well, most of the Straw Hats are sitting. Zoro is leaning against the wall, Sanji is preparing dinner, and Nami is pacing around, so much so, she started to dig a groove in the floor.

"Nami, will you please stop pacing?" Zoro asked. "We understand you're worried, but calm down, dammit! You're making me dizzy!"

"And you're telling me you aren't worried, either?!" Nami asked. "He's been gone for almost 2 hours! He should've found Aika and brought her back by now!"

"Nami, we understand," Sanji answered, "but you're over-thinking this."

"Sanji's right, Nami," Usopp added. "C'mon, it's _Luffy_ , for crying out loud! It's not the first time he's been gone for so long! No need to lose your head!

Nami sighed as she sat down at the table.

"Y-you're right," she said. "I'm getting all worked up over nothing."

"Don't give it a second thought," Brook said, giving her a cup of tea. "Here. Something to calm your nerves."

"Thanks, Brook," Nami said as she took a sip and sighed. "Darjeeling…"

"By the way, Miss Nami," Brook said. "May I have a peek at your pan-"

"Piss off!" Nami shouted as she splashed the tea in his face.

"HOT!" the skeleton cried as he stumbled back.

"I should've known you'd try and ask me after you gave me tea!" spat the navigator.

"Could've you just kicked me in the head, instead?" Brook asked.

"You never learn, do you?" Franky asked.

In Robin's lap, Kumi whimpered worriedly, causing the archaeologist to pet her head in a reassuring manner.

"Oh, Kumi, don't fret," Robin told the pup. "I'm sure Luffy will be back soon."

"Yeah, and he'll have Aika with him, safe and sound!" Chopper added.

Kumi smiled, her tail wagging left and right, but all of a sudden, Blizzard jumped to his feet, barking loudly.

"What's up with the mutt?" Zoro asked.

"It must be Luffy!" Nami exclaimed as she got out of her chair and ran to the door, but when she opened it, her excitement quickly turned to horror. There, before her eyes, is Luffy, who panted heavily as he held his right shoulder, where blood dripped from a huge bite mark…as well as from his back and his left calf. He opened his mouth to speak…but all that came out was a sigh as he soon collapsed on the deck, his blood beginning to pool around him…and as the world grew dark, he heard the voice of his fiance screaming…

" **LUFFY~!** "

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Don't worry, Luffy's all right! God forbid that he die.

Review, please!


	7. Ch 6- The Chase

**Ch. 6- The Chase**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

It had been about an hour now since Luffy had been found on the deck of the _Sunny_ , covered in blood. Chopper had to suture the wound on his back shut with more than 200 stitches, as well as 88 stitches to close the wound on his leg, and 95 to close his shoulder wound. Afterwards, he had a blood transfusion, and before too long, he woke up with his calf, upper torso, and shoulder in bandages.

Everyone had gathered in the sick bay, sitting around their captain, who sits on the cot with his hands in his lap.

"Luffy, what the hell happened to you, out there?" Zoro asked.

"…Remember that thing that attacked Nami?" Luffy asked. "Well, it went after me."

"What?!" Nami questioned.

"Oh, man, I knew this would happen!" Usopp cried.

"Did you get a good look at it, at least?" Franky asked.

"It was dark, so no," Luffy answered. "Thing put up one hell of a fight, though."

 _Flashback_

The creature that attacked Luffy roared as it lunged at him with flashing white fangs, but the Straw Hat Captain held up his hands and forced the monster's jaws open. Then, with a growl, he threw the beast into a random direction. However, the creature promptly landed on its feet and charged at Luffy, who took a fighting stance, and as it lunged at him, he imbued his arms with Haki and punched the monster in the gut, sending it crashing into the grass.

"Gum-Gum WHIP!" Luffy shouted as he stretched out his leg and swung it at the monster, but it jumped out of the way and landed behind him, growling viciously. However, Luffy swung around, back-handing his opponent in the jaw as it lunged for him once more, managing to bust out several teeth, and yet, the creature held its ground and bit on Luffy's shoulder, causing him to scream in pain before he attempted to pry the beast's jaws off, and he managed to do so.

"Gum-Gum BULLET!" He shouts as he stretches his arm back and attempts to punch the beast, but it circles around him, evading his fist, before sinking its fangs into his left calf and throwing him into a boulder. Then it charged at him, preparing to deliver the finishing blow, but Luffy, always not one to go down so easily, stood up and stretched his arm way back, and then imbued it with Haki as steam began to rise from it.

"Gear Second: Armaments!"

The monster roared as it drew closer, but Luffy only gave it a deadly glare as his arm ignited into flames.

"Gum-Gum…RED HAWK!"

 **KAPOOOOOW!** Luffy's fiery punch landed a direct hit in the monster's stomach, causing it to cough up blood before it was sent flying several feet away from him. A pause, the silence only broken by Luffy's panting, but then the beast stands, and at first, the Straw Hat Captain is anticipating another attack, but instead, his opponent limps away, back in the direction from which it came. Luffy only stood there, watching to make sure it wouldn't come back, but then grunted in pain, holding his shoulder before he turned and limped away as well, heading back to the _Sunny_.

 _Flashback end_

"Damn," Usopp cursed. "You go to look for Aika and you come back looking like you might drop dead!"

"Oh, my gosh!" Nami gasped. "Aika! Luffy, you found her, didn't you?!"

"…Yeah," Luffy answered. "I found her."

" _If you found her, why didn't you bring her back?!"_ Kumi asked.

"It's not my fault!" Luffy answered. "She wanted to stay!"

" _Why?"_ Blizzard asked.

"…She met a girl," Luffy replied. "Ginger, I think she said her name is."

"Ginger?" Zoro repeated.

"Isn't that the same name as the old man's granddaughter?" Franky asked.

"That must mean that she is on this island," Robin added.

"Anyway," Luffy continued, "it turns out that Ginger's being taken away by this island guardian god…Q…Cube…Kyuubi, I think…?"

"Kyuubi?" Robin repeated, knitting her brow.

"So?" Sanji asked. "Let's just grab Aika, Ginger, and all the other kids and go!"

"It doesn't matter," Luffy said. "Ginger's gonna die, anyway…she's got a heart disease. If she gets too worked up, she gets a heart attack."

"…Oh, god…!" Nami whispered in horror.

"Poor Ginger…!" Chopper whispered.

"Yeah," Luffy said. "That's why Aika can't leave. She promised Ginger she'd stay with her…and help her make her last wish come true."

"Her last wish?" Sanji repeated.

"She's got a brother," Luffy answered. "Cilantro…and apparently, he's fighting with the lady who brought Aika and all the other kids here…but all Ginger wants is to see him smile again."

Franky sniffled as he wiped his eyes.

"Aika…what a selfless kid…!" he whimpered.

"How admirable of her," Brook said. "It makes my heart swell with pride…even though I have no heart. Yohohoho!"

"You've really rubbed off on her, Luffy," Zoro said.

"Well, I am her brother," Luffy said, smiling. "I've gotta have some impact on her." He then looked over at Kumi. "I'm sorry, Kumi."

" _It's okay,"_ the Akita pup said. _"I know how Aika is…when she makes up her mind, I can't make her change it…in a way, I'm kinda proud of her for it."_

Robin, on the other hand, stood near the doorway, a hand to her chin as she looked down, pondering.

"What's wrong, Robin?" Nami asked.

"Something's not right about this," Robin said. "Luffy, Aika said that the guardian spirit of this island is called Kyuubi, didn't she?"

"Uh-huh," Luffy nodded.

"Why?" Usopp asked. "What's the matter?"

"I've read about Kyuubi in books before," Robin replied. "It's normally depicted in ancient lore, not as a guardian spirit, but a monster that absorbs souls."

"A monster?!" Usopp, Brook, and Chopper questioned, holding each other in fright.

"It's depicted as a giant fox with nine tails," Robin added.

"You think maybe it was Kyuubi that attacked Luffy and me?" Nami asked.

"It's highly likely," the archaeologist answered. "Still…I don't know what that woman's connection is with it."

"Does this mean that Aika's in even more danger?" Chopper asked, worriedly.

Luffy looked down at the floor, clenching his hands together.

"I'll be back," Robin said, grabbing her backpack. "I think this island might have something worth investigating."

"Wait a minute, Robin!" Nami said. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yeah!" Usopp added. "What if you get attacked next?!"

"I'll take my chances," said Robin.

"…Hey, Blizzard," Zoro said, causing the wolf-dog to look up at him. "Go with Robin, all right?"

Blizzard nodded before he walked after the historian, who smiled and petted him.

"Robin," Zoro said. "You better not come back all covered in blood like Luffy, understand?"

"I know, Zoro," Robin said, winking at him. "Thanks for looking out for me, Tiger."

Zoro smiled at her just as she and the wolf-dog left.

"Why didn't you go with her, Zoro?" Nami asked.

"Or at the very least, let me go, too!" Sanji added.

"First off, and I'm sorry, but I just don't trust you with Robin," Zoro said. "Second, if I go, I'll just get lost and slow her down."

"…Did Zoro just admit that he'll get lost?" Usopp whispered.

"You think he's sick?" Chopper asked, softly. However, he and the sniper soon let out frightened yelps as the swordsman stood over them with a fiery blue aura and his eye glowing red.

Luffy chuckled a bit at the humorous moment, but then sighed as he looked out the porthole window.

"…You okay?" Nami asked, putting her hand on her fiancé's shoulder.

"I just can't help but worry about Aika, Nami," Luffy answered.

"Luffy, Aika's come a long way from the timid little girl that we met on Punk Hazard," Nami assured. "Trust me…she'll be okay. After all, she's our little sister."

Luffy grinned and chuckled.

"You have the right words for everything, huh?" he asked.

"I have my moments," Nami answered, causing Luffy to give her a light peck on the cheek.

XXX

The next morning, Aika, Ginger, and several other children are out running around in the forest. For some reason, Anya didn't want to come out of her room, saying that she wasn't feeling very well. She gave the children permission to play in the forest, as long as they don't stray too far.

"I found it!"

Aika, who is in her wolf form, picked up a white flag that was stuck inside a hollow tree.

"Good job, Aika!" Ginger praised.

"How'd you find it so fast?" asked a little boy, about 7 years old, with maroon-colored hair.

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled. "It's easy when you have the nose of a wolf!"

"Let's hide the flag again!" said another boy with black hair and beady eyes. "And this time, we'll hide it further into the forest!"

"Hold on, guys!" Ginger exclaimed. "Miss Anya said not to go too far into the forest! We might get in trouble!"

"We'll be back before she suspects anything," said a girl about Aika's age with long, brown, curly hair and a red ribbon in it.

"Well…okay," said Ginger, "but we can't be out too long."

With that, the children went off, deeper into the forest, where the trees completely blocked out the sun, making the ground below dark with shadows.

"Okay!" said the black-haired boy. "I'm gonna hide the flag now, but you guys can't look, got it?"

"We know the rules," said Ginger. "You don't have to repeat them."

With that, the boy ran off while Aika and the others covered their eyes. After about 15 seconds, he returned without the flag.

"Okay! I hid it!" he said it. "You guys can start looking, now!"

With that, the search had begun. Aika sniffed the ground, trying to catch the flag's scent. She went left and right, back and forth, and even in little circles, until she finally found it, wedged between two rocks.

"Too easy," she said as she prepared to grab it, when out of nowhere, the ground cracked beneath her paws and collapsed, causing her to fall right through!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed before she landed with a **THUD!** She groaned as she stood up, a bit disoriented before she shook her head, and as she looked up, she gasped upon seeing that she is standing in the middle of a completely different environment: a huge, tropical jungle with colorful flowers and hummingbirds.

"What the…?" she whispered.

"Aika!"

The Honshu Wolf Girl looked up to see Ginger and the rest of the children, looking down through the big hole she fell in.

"Are you okay?!" Ginger asked.

"I'm fine!" Aika called. "I think…"

"What do we do!?" asked the brown-haired girl.

"We gotta find Miss Anya!" the maroon-hair boy answered. "She'll know what to do!"

"Aika, wait there, all right?!" asked Ginger.

"Okay!" Aika replied. "It's not like I can go anywhere, anyway."

With that, the children went off to get help while Aika remained in the mysterious jungle, waiting for them to return. She let out a yawn and scratched her ear in boredom, but then gasped as she heard the sound of a twig snapping.

"What was that?!" she questioned, but she was met with silence. "…I guess it was nothing."

She then turned around…only to be met with the long snout of a feline-like creature with light gray fur, dark gray ear tips with the same-colored stripe going down his back and tail, blue eyes, long fangs, a dark red nose, and a small X-shaped scar on his forehead.

" _Hi,"_ he said with a malicious grin.

"AAH!" Aika screamed.

" _What're you up to, kid?"_ the cat asked.

"N-n-n-nothing," Aika stammered.

" _Nothing, huh?"_ asked another cat that came slinking out of the bushes with orange fur, brown ear tips with the same-colored stripe going down his back and tail, a yellow eye due to his right one being scarred and blinded, a gray nose, and long fangs. _"Well, what's your name then?"_

"A-A-A-A-Aika," Aika replied, still stammering.

" _Well, 'A-A-A-Aika,'"_ said the gray cat, mockingly, _"you don't look like you're doing nothing to me. What's it look like she's doing to you, Zama?"_

" _Looks like she's trespassing, to me, Zuka,"_ replied the orange cat, known as Zama.

" _And what do we do with trespassers?"_ asked Zuka. _"Tell her, Zuli."_

A growl sounded off behind Aika, causing her to turn around and gasp upon seeing another long-fanged, brown-nosed, green-eyed, long-snout cat, this one with sandy-colored fur, light brown ear tips with, once again, the same colored stripe going down his back. However, most of the fur on his tail is gone.

" _We…EAT 'EM!"_ shouted the third cat, Zuli, before he jumped at the Honshu Wolf Girl, who shrieked and ducked down before he could reach her, thus causing him to crash into the other cats.

" _You idiot!"_ shouted Zuka. _"Get off me!"_

" _Sorry, bro!"_ cried Zuli.

" _There she goes!"_ barked Zama, who spotted Aika blitzing away through the foliage, and soon, the three chased after her.

"Why…do I always….get chased…by CATS?!" the young D. Carrier questioned as she kept running, but as she did, Zuka jumped in her path.

" _Boo!"_ he shouted, causing Aika to yelp as she turned to run away again, only for Zama and Zuli to jump out as well. They snickered as they began to close in on their prey, but just as they lunged at her, Aika jumped over them, causing them to crash into each other. Then, she dropped down on top of Zama's hindquarter's before she bounded away. Once the brothers untangled themselves, they continued their pursuit.

Aika panted as she ran as fast as any wolf could, but as she broke through the foliage, she gasped as she stopped at a cliff, and below that, a mighty river. She looked around, hoping to find a way across, until she spotted a log connecting to the other side. Wasting no time, Aika ran to it and began to make her way across, but then, she heard growling behind her. She turned, and she saw the three cats behind her.

" _Going somewhere?"_ asked Zuka before he lunged at Aika, who gasped and turned to run, but the feline brothers were in hot pursuit of her. As they chased her, though, the log cracked under Aika's feet, and as the combined weight of the cats were added onto it, it broke apart before any of them could reach the other side, all four of them howling.

"BIG BROTHER~!" Aika screamed out as she hit the water.

XXX

Luffy gasped as he looked up, all of a sudden, as he was about to take a bite out of some roast pork.

"What's wrong, Luffy?" Nami asked, concerned.

"Something wrong with the roast?" Sanji asked. "I cooked it just the way you like it."

"It's not that," Luffy answered. "I sense…a disturbance."

XXX

A bit later, all was quiet in the jungle…and on the ground, Aika lied near the riverbank, motionless and soaking wet….but then, she twitched and coughed up the water that was in her lungs. She panted as she got to her feet, and then shook the water out of her fur.

"Ugh…" she groaned. "That was awful…I actually thought I was a goner."

She then took a look around and saw that she was in a deeper part of the jungle, and she could hear the sound of monkeys screeching in the distance.

"At least I finally lost those stupid cats," she said.

" _Look!"_

Aika gasped as she turned around and saw the Jungle Cat Bros, growling at her and soaking wet, too.

"Oh, come on!" Aika complained as she ran away once again. She had to admit, they were persistent, which she would've found admirable if they weren't trying to eat her. As Aika ran, though, her body felt incredibly heavy. It was then that she realized that she had begun to run out of steam, for all that running, plus falling into the river, had sapped her energy.

" _She's getting tired, bros!"_ Zama said.

" _Hahahaha!"_ Zuka laughed. _"We've got her now!"_

' _This isn't good,'_ Aika thought as she kept running. _'If I don't find a place to hide and rest, soon, I'm cat food!'_

Soon, she began to slow down into a walk, her breath coming out in short pants and her tongue hanging out of her mouth. As she walked further, she looked up and gasped upon seeing a huge cave of some sort…in the shape of a giant fox's head, its mouth wide open, showing its stone fangs and two eyes that looked like they were glowering down at her. Aika whimpered as she backed away, but then she heard the sound of the cats' footfalls closing in on her. Left with no choice, the Honshu Wolf Girl ran inside, disappearing within the mysterious darkness of the cave.

At that moment, Zuka, Zama, and Zuli appeared, but once they spotted the cave, they gasped in horror, their large, pointed ears drooping down.

" _This place…?!"_ questioned Zama.

" _W-w-why would that kid go in there?!"_ Zuli asked.

" _You know som_ e _thing, bros?"_ asked Zuka. _"Suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore. LET'S GO!"_

With that, the three cats yowled before they turned tail and ran like the Devil was after them!

Inside the cave, Aika panted as she sat in the dank, dark cave, sighing in relief as she heard the Jungle Cat Bros leave.

"Finally," she said. "They're gone."

She then looked up and blinked as she looked at her surroundings, and she spotted a light leading deeper inside the cave.

"A light?" Aika asked as she stood up, turning back into her human form, fully dressed. "I wonder where it goes."

Not one to sit around and wonder, the young D. Carrier walked onward, hoping that maybe this cave would be a way out of this jungle and back to Ginger and the others.

XXX

Meanwhile, Robin and Blizzard are walking through the jungle themselves, the former using a machete to cut away any branches in her path.

"How odd," Robin mused as she looked around. "Up top, the island looked like it was a forest, but underneath that, the climate is completely different. How remarkable…as I'd expect from the New World."

Blizzard growled as he shook his head, his ears swatting away the flies that are buzzing around him.

' _If you count these annoying bugs as 'remarkable','_ the wolf-dog thought. _'What the hell are we supposed to be looking for, anyway?'_

As the two Straw Hats continued walking, Blizzard suddenly growled as he looked off to the right, gaining Robin's attention.

"What's wrong, Blizzard?" Robin asked.

Suddenly, there is a rustling sound in the bushes. Robin and Blizzard take stances, preparing to fight who or whatever it was that was there, but then, something came out…or rather someone: a blond-haired girl with long hair in braids and green war paint on her cheeks. Her clothes seemed tattered, and she is barefoot. In her arms are bundles of plants and herbs.

"A girl?" Robin asked.

"W-who are you?!" asked the girl, drawing a knife. "What do you two want?! You're not with…Anya, are you?!"

Blizzard growled viciously as he glared at the girl, preparing to jump at her, but Robin held out her hand, stopping him.

"It's all right," she assured the girl. "We're not your enemy. I'm Nico Robin, and this is Blizzard. Who are you?"

"…My name is…Lillian," said the girl. "Lilly for short. I was out getting herbs for my boss…he was hurt really badly, you see."

"I see," Robin said. "Do you think maybe I could see him?"

"Why?" Lillian asked, worriedly.

"I think we can help each other out somehow," Robin answered, smiling. "You see…I think this boss of yours knows something that we don't….and I think he can help us out."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

My first update of 2016! Yay! Happy New Year to everyone!

So...listen, I might not update as frequently as I would because this year, I'm supposed to be starting school again. I mean, I may just take one class and I might just go for only certain days of the week, but still, I'm gonna do what I can before I go. So...yeah.

Anyway, review please!


	8. Ch 7- Aika's Find

**Ch. 7- Aika's Find**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

Aika delved deeper and deeper into the cave, following the strange light. If there was another thing that she had imprinted from her brother, it was his natural curiosity, but unlike him, she knew to be cautious, thanks to Nami and Blizzard's teachings. As she went further and further into the cave…she saw the source of the light: a torch with a moth flying around it, but the insect was unfortunate enough to fly right into the flame, causing its brown, spotty wings to catch fire before it soon fell to the ground to die.

As Aika looked up, she spotted more torches, lined up along the wall. Growing more curious, she followed the trail, her hand gliding along the wall, but then, as she kept walking, she felt something: a groove of some sort in the wall. She stepped back and gasped silently, for the rock had turned into brick…very old brick, at that, and even then, the torches kept going.

"What is going on?" Aika asked, her voice echoing. "Where'd this brick wall come from?"

A slight pause until the young D. Carrier pressed onward. As she did, the tunnel seemed to expand, wider and wider…but then, as she kept walking, she gasped as she felt her foot seemed to fall, only to land on a stone block, and as Aika looked down further, she realized it was a flight of stairs, cracked with age and covered with dust and cobwebs.

"Stairs, too?" Aika asked as she carefully made her way down…and she soon found herself in some sort of chamber…and the air smelled really foul, so much so, she almost gagged before she pinched her nose shut.

"Ugh…!" she groaned. "What is that horrible smell?!"

She took a step forward…something crunched beneath the sole of her shoe, causing her to look down, only to gasp as she realized it looked like a bone…and as she looked around, she saw many more bones, littered around the cave floor…but in the center of it, Aika gasped upon seeing a statue of the same nine-tailed fox that Ginger showed her, only this one was much bigger, about Franky's height and size, but also…it looked much more menacing than the peaceful one found inside the tree. It sat up on its haunches with its front paws raised and its claws outstretched, its mouth gaping open, showing rows of sharp fangs of stone, and its eyes, made of two flashing red rubies, glared down at her with viciousness.

However…what horrified Aika the most was what was sitting in front of the statue: a decomposing skeleton with some hair still attached to the skull, a white shirt, a dark blue skirt, and a pearl necklace around its neck. As Aika looked closer…she saw what looked like a hole in the shirt…which was stained red with dried blood.

"Oh, my gosh…!" Aika whispered, horrified. "W-what kind of a place is this?!"

Suddenly, **THWACK!** Aika gasped as she was struck in the back of her head, and quick as a wink, she fell down, out cold. Then, a shadowy hand reached down to grab her by the leg, then hoist her over its shoulder before turning around and leaving the cave.

XXX

Aika's eyes shot open and she gasped as she sat up, only for two hands to be placed on her shoulders.

"Aika! It's okay! Calm down!"

"Huh?!" Aika muttered as she looked up and saw Ginger, blinking at her worriedly. "G-Ginger?! What are you doing here?! Where am I?!"

"Where do you think?" asked Ginger. "You're back in our room, safe and sound."

Upon hearing this, Aika took a look around and realized that Ginger was correct. She was sitting in the same bed in the same room she shared with the older girl.

"W…what happened?" Aika asked.

"Don't you remember?" asked Ginger. "You fell into the jungle beneath the forest, and we went back to get help. Miss Anya found in the middle of the jungle, about to get eaten by those three cats, but she saved you. You didn't see her because you passed out from exhaustion before she found you."

"What?" Aika asked. "But…but that can't be! I wasn't in the jungle! Well, I was, but I wasn't in the middle of it! I was in a cave and…" she gasped upon remembering what she saw in the cave earlier. "Oh, my gosh! Ginger, you won't believe this!"

"Not now, Aika," said Ginger. "You should rest a bit more. You've had quite a shock."

"But Ginger!" Aika cried. "I saw something earlier! I was in a big cave, hiding from these cats, and then I see these lights, and I follow them to some kind of room, and…and…Ginger, there were bones everywhere, and that statue of Kyuubi, only it looked scarier, and there was also a skeleton and-"

"Aika, it was just a dream," Ginger interjected. "Now, you lie down. I'll get you those cookies that you like so much."

With that, the 11-year-old girl left, but Aika, refusing to remain unheard, push the covers off of herself and followed after.

"Ginger, please!" Aika said. "You have to listen to me! Something's really wrong here!"

"Aika, not now," Ginger said. "Please."

"But Ginger-" Aika started.

"Look, just be quiet, will you?!" Ginger questioned, causing the younger girl to gasp. "For goodness sake, you sound just like my brother!"

A pause…but then Ginger turned and walked away.

"Aika…it's bad enough that Cilantro does this," she said. "I thought I could trust you enough not to say the same things he does…but apparently, I was wrong."

"N-no, wait!" Aika cried as she followed her. "Ginger, wait! Please, don't be angry!"

The brunette stopped in her tracks, but she wouldn't look at Aika, who chewed her lip in uncertainty.

"Ginger…I didn't mean to upset you," Aika said, her voice breaking a bit. "I won't say anything anymore, okay? Just…promise me we can still be friends. Please, Ginger?"

A pause…but then Ginger sighed and turned to look at the young D. Carrier.

"Okay," she said. "I'll give you a second chance."

Aika sniffled and smiled at this.

"But promise me you won't speak of all these crazy things anymore, okay?" asked Ginger.

"I promise," Aika answered.

"Okay," Ginger said before she went up and hugged her. "Thanks, Aika."

"Uh-huh," Aika nodded. "By the way…where did Miss Anya go?"

"Actually…I don't know," Ginger replied. "She brought you back but then she left again. Said she had something to take care of."

"Take care of?" Aika repeated. "Like what?"

XXX

At the _Sunny_ , Luffy and the others are still waiting for Robin and Blizzard to come back. However, it was clear that impatience and worry was beginning to set in. Zoro was beginning to get so antsy, he started lifting Usopp and Chopper while they sat on _Shuusui_.

"1,424…1,425…1,426…" the swordsman counted.

"Zoro, stop, please…!" Usopp begged. "I think I'm gonna puke…!"

"Me, too…!" Chopper said, nauseously.

"Jeez, Zoro, chill out, will ya?" Franky said, his hair now styled into fox ears.

"Let him go," said Sanji, washing the dishes. "It's the only way he can take his mind off things."

"Robin has been gone a long time, though," Nami said. "I'm almost starting to think that that monster found her, too."

"Are you trying to make me worry even more?!" Zoro asked. "Why do you think I had the mutt go with her?!"

"Guys, calm down!" Luffy said. "Look, we know Robin, okay? She'll be fine, even if Blizzard's not with her."

"I do hope so," Brook spoke up. "All this worrying is rattling me to the bone, it is."

Zoro sighed as he kept lifting Usopp and Chopper, but then he stopped and looked up.

"Ugh…finally," Usopp sighed, relieved.

"Hmm?" Nami hummed. "What's the matter, Zoro?"

"…Someone's outside," Zoro answered, "and it's not Robin or the mutt."

Everyone looked outside, nervously, but attentive.

"I sensed it, too," Luffy said.

"Same here," Sanji added.

"M-m-me, too," Usopp piped, although a bit tentative.

Outside, it is revealed that Anya is standing in front of the _Sunny_ with her swords drawn. As she glared up at the ship, her eye flashed red and grin on her face.

"Looks like I've found the rat's nest," she said as she licked her lips.

XXX

Concurrently, Robin and Blizzard are following Lilly into the deepest part of the jungle. As they did, they heard a cacophony of yelling and shouting, and it grew louder and louder as they walked.

"What's all that noise?" Robin asked.

"Oh, that would be everyone else," said Lilly. "Don't mind them. This is an everyday thing."

"Reminds me of some other people I know," Robin said with her usual amused smile. Even Blizzard couldn't help snickering.

Soon, the three arrived at a huge campsite. Actually, it was more like a village. The tree branches were lined with ropes and decorate with feathers, and there are children wearing tattered clothes and war paint, running around. Some were playing card games while others were eating the meat of a roasted boar that was cooking over a fire on a spit. There are tents everywhere, and there are even treehouses built on the branches.

"My, how impressive," Robin mused as she looked around, only to gasp as two spear are suddenly pointed at her, being held by two boys that were about 10 years old.

"Who are you?!" asked the first boy, who wore blue war paint on his cheeks and wearing nothing but a pair of ripped up jeans.

"What do you want?!" asked another boy with green war paint around his eyes, cracked eyeglasses, a dirty white shirt, dark green shorts, and a pair of boots.

Blizzard growled, preparing to pull the spears right out of their hands.

"Guys!" Lilly shouted. "Let them pass. They're not our enemies."

The boys looked at each other, then at Robin and Blizzard before they set their spears aside.

"Thank you, both," Robin said, petting them both gently on the head, causing them to smile fondly.

"Uh…yeah, no problem," said the spectacled boy.

"What he said," added the jeans-wearing boy.

Lilly continued to lead Robin and Blizzard deeper into the village until they stopped in front of a large tent. In fact, it was the biggest one in the whole place.

"Just wait here," Lilly said to Robin, who nodded her head as the girl entered the tent. For a moment, they could hear murmuring inside, and after a while, Lilly came back out, gesturing Robin and Blizzard to enter, which they did.

Soon, the three stood before Cilantro, who sat up on a mat, his body wrapped up in bandages as he stared off into space.

"This is our boss, Cilantro," said Lilly. "As you can see…he's been injured pretty badly."

' _Holy shizz…!'_ Blizzard thought. _'How the hell is this kid even alive?!'_

"…Cilantro, was it?" Robin asked, crouching down to the boy's height level.

"…Yes, ma'am," Cilantro answered, looking directly at her, albeit with a somewhat soulless look.

"You're very polite, looking at an adult when they're talking to you," Robin said. "I'm-"

"You don't need to tell me your names," Cilantro answered. "Trust me, I know who you are. You're 'Demon Child' Nico Robin, and the wolf-dog next to you is 'White Wolf' Blizzard. You guys are members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Practically everybody knows you guys."

"You do your research, I see," Robin noted. "I like that."

"So why are you here on this island?" Cilantro asked.

"I was wondering if you could help us," Robin answered. "You see, Cilantro…we're here for two reasons. The first reason is one of our crew members, my captain's younger sister, was kidnapped and brought here, so we came to rescue. Second…we met an old man, Tarragon, whose grandchildren were kidnapped, six years ago."

"What?!" Cilantro asked in surprised. "You mean you met my Gramps?!"

"That's right," Robin replied. "We came here, hopefully to rescue Aika as well as the other children here…but first, there's something I need to know…what exactly is this Anya woman up to? What does she have to gain from kidnapping children?"

A pause…but then Cilantro sighed.

"…Anya is not who she says she is," he said. "I don't know how I know…but I do know she's up to something, and it's definitely not good."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"…When my sister and I came here, six years ago," Cilantro began, "I knew something was up with her. Someone who smiles all the time like that…there must be something up with her…and one day, I realized my suspicions were correct."

"What happened?" Robin inquired. "What did you see?"

"…There was a girl here," Cilantro answered. "Her name was Elaine. She was 14 years old…the oldest kid here before we showed up…but then, one day, it happened. Anya told us that Elaine had to 'sleep with Kyuubi', and told us not to follow her. I didn't want Elaine to go, but she just looked at me, saying things would be okay…so I believed her. We waited…but only Anya came back. She looked sad…but I knew she was hiding something. I just didn't know what…until I saw it."

"Saw what?" Robin asked.

"I spied on Anya in her room," Cilantro began, "and I couldn't believe what I saw!"

 _Flashback_

Cilantro, five years old, his hair short, his clothes intact, no war paint, and no scars, quietly peeked through the crack in the door that led to Anya's room. Inside, he saw a king-sized bed with a pink curtain around it, various weapons hung up on the wall, the pelt of a cat-like creature with black fur and large pointed ears laid out on the floor, and Anya herself, sitting in front of a mirror…and he gasped silently when he saw something very horrifying: Anya's palms…stained red with a familiar liquid.

"B…blood…?!" Cilantro whispered.

A pause…but then Anya turned to look at the door, her visible eye glowing red, causing Cilantro to shut the door and run away.

 _Flashback end_

"You mean…she killed that girl?!" Robin asked in shock.

"That's right," Cilantro said, grimly. "When I told everyone about this, some were quick to take my side…but the others thought I was nuts. Said that Anya wouldn't do anything to hurt them…but it was a lie. I know it was a lie! She's not trying to help anybody…she's some kind of murderer…but we don't know what she's killing kids for."

"…My god…!" Robin whispered in horror.

"And now…my sister, Ginger, is gonna be next," Cilantro said. "If I don't do something soon…Ginger will die a gruesome death. I know she's dying anyway, but I don't want this kind of death for her!"

As he spoke, his eyes began to well up with tears.

"I'm her brother…!" he whispered. "I can't let her die! Not like this! If somehow, I managed to escape from here without Ginger…I don't know how I would explain this to Gramps!"

He then broke down into sobs, and Lilly wasn't too far from crying, herself.

"Oh, Boss…!" she whispered.

A pause…but then, Blizzard walked up and licked at Cilantro's tears, to his confusion.

"Cilantro," Robin spoke. "It's all right…we understand how you feel. Our captain, Luffy, is exactly the same way when it comes to his sister…but don't worry…we can help you."

"You can?" asked Cilantro.

"Absolutely," Robin answered, smiling in assurance. "Just leave everything to us. We'll rescue Aika, your sister, and all the other children here."

Hearing that caused Cilantro and Lilly to gasp.

"Why…?" asked the former, tears spilling from his eyes. "You barely know us…but you're gonna help us anyway?"

Robin chuckled while Blizzard smiled.

' _We're the Straw Hats,'_ the wolf-dog thought. _'This is pretty much a regular thing with us.'_

XXX

Meanwhile, the rest of the Straw Hats are out on the deck, confronting Anya, who had come aboard.

"Who the hell are you?!" Luffy asked.

"And where did you come from, gorgeous?" Sanji asked with hearts in his eyes.

"And may I see your-" Brook started.

"Will you shut up, you idiots?!" Zoro questioned.

"Hello, everyone," said Anya. "My name is Anya. Welcome to Kinderinsel."

"So you're Anya, huh?" Nami asked. "The one who kidnapped all those kids, including Aika?"

"Kidnapped?" Anya repeated, blinking inquisitively. "Is that what those people made you think? I merely took them to a better home, is all."

"What you did is still kidnapping!" Usopp shouted. "You trick kids into thinking you're a dead relative and then bring them here!"

"…Banchina," Anya said, suddenly. "That was your mother's name…isn't it, God Usopp?"

"W…what?" Usopp asked.

"I wonder…how she must've felt, knowing her husband abandoned her," said Anya.

"W-what do you mean?" Usopp asked. "How do you know about my Mom, anyway?!"

"I can see it in your soul," Anya answered. "I know there's some part of you that still mourns for your mother. She was a fool…falling for a man who would eventually leave her just to be with some drunken, red-haired vagabond…she must've eventually come to hate him for leaving her like she did."

"H-hey, shut up!" Usopp barked. "My Mom never felt that way about my Old Man!"

"And who do you think you are, calling Shanks a vagabond?!" Luffy questioned.

"Wait a minute!" Nami said. "Don't you realize what she's doing?! She's playing on our emotions!"

"Am I?" asked Anya. "Tell me, Cat Burglar…do you think Bellemere is proud of you?"

"W…what?" Nami asked.

"She was killed by a pirate…and yet, you became something that killed her," said Anya. "You said that you despise pirates, and yet, not only have you become one, you're engaged to one, too? Don't you think you're being a hypocrite?"

"I…I…" Nami stammered.

"Hey!" Luffy barked. "Leave Nami alone! Who cares about what others think?! Nami only cares about what she thinks, and that's what truly matters! Besides, she's proud of who she is! We're not gonna fall for any of your damned mind tricks!" He then pointed a finger Anya. "You're a liar and you're a kidnapper, and I'm gonna save my sister and these kids, no matter what!"

"Oh, is that so?" asked Anya. "Says the same man who couldn't even save his brother."

Hearing that caused Luffy's eyes to go wide.

"L-Luffy?" Chopper asked in concern.

"Hey! Don't listen to her!" Franky exclaimed.

"What'd you say?" Luffy asked through gritted teeth.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, considering how weak you were," said Anya. "It's a shame…you saved him, but then you tossed him right back into the hands of death, itself."

"Shut up!" Luffy barked.

"Luffy!" Sanji shouted. "She's goading you! Don't listen!"

"And the reason he became a pirate is even more pathetic," Anya continued. "Wanting to find out if he deserved to live?! What a bunch of trash that is! Of course he didn't deserve to live…he was the son of Gold Roger, after all. He was born a demon from the start!"

"Shut up!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled. "Don't listen to her!"

"She's just trying to provoke you!" Brook cried.

"He was a fool, giving his life up to save you, an even bigger fool such as you!" Anya added. "You? King of the Pirates?! Ha! Don't make me laugh…if you couldn't save your brother, you definitely can't save your sister…you're weak, Straw Hat…and you ALWAYS will be!"

That did it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGH!" Luffy roared as he charged at Anya, his arms imbued with Haki.

"LUFFY, NO!" Nami cried.

"YOUR WOUNDS HAVEN'T HEALED YET!" Chopper shouted.

 **WHAM!** Luffy threw a punch towards Anya's chest…only for her to block it with one hand as she glared at him with a smug grin while the enraged Straw Hat Captain seethed.

"I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS~!"

"…Just try it…boy."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Ugh...I actually had real writer's block with this one. Been stuck on it since last month, actually! Dressrosa will be updated tomorrow.

Review, please!


	9. Ch 8- The Monster is Revealed

**Ch. 8- The Monster Is Revealed**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

Back with Aika, she is back in Ginger's room, sitting on the bed with her hands in her lap. Ginger went out to get the two of them a little snack. However, Aika couldn't stop thinking about what she saw earlier today in that cave.

She knew she promised Ginger that she wouldn't bring it up anymore, but she couldn't help thinking that somehow, she had to show her what she had found, but she knew that the brunette wouldn't listen to her.

'… _I'm sorry about this, Ginger,'_ thought Aika, _'but…I have to do this…!'_

A moment later, Ginger entered the room with a platter of cookies.

"Hey, Aika," she said. "I brought you some…" She gasped in shock when she saw the window wide open, and Aika was nowhere to be seen.

"Aika?!" she questioned before she ran to the window and looked down to see a familiar little wolf, running through the long grass. "Aika! Come back here! Where do you think you're going?!"

Aika looked up at Ginger, almost sadly, before she turned and kept running.

"Aika!" Ginger cried before she turned and ran out of the room.

XXX

Aika panted as she ran through the forest, looking around frantically.

"Where is it?" she asked. "Where is it?!"

She then spotted the pitfall she fell through.

"There!" she exclaimed, but just as she was about to jump down…

"Aika!"

The D. Carrier turned to see Ginger running after her.

"What are you doing?!" she asked.

"…I'm sorry, Ginger," Aika said, "but you need to see this!"

With that, she jumped down into the pit, forcing the 11-year-old to follow after her, slowly climbing down using a tree root while Aika, somehow having already reached the ground, waited for her. Once Ginger drew closer, Aika started running again, with Ginger following after her.

"Aika, wait!" Ginger cried. "We shouldn't be here!"

Just as she said this, she heard a growling noise behind her. She turned and gasped upon seeing Zuka, slinking out of a bush. He smirks before he lunges at her, but then, **WHAM!** Aika tackles the cat, sending the both of them to the ground.

"Leave her alone!" Aika shouted.

" _Oh, it's you again, huh?"_ Zuka asked. _"What, you trying to be a hero, kid?!"_

"I won't let you hurt Ginger!" Aika spat.

" _You say that to m_ e _,"_ Zuka started, _"but what about Zama and Zuli?"_

Aika gasped as she turned to the other two Jungle Cat Bros, Zama and Zuli, who are about to pounce on Ginger.

"No!" the Honshu Wolf Girl cried as she ran to them, but Zuka pursued her and tried to pin her down by grabbing her by the tail. It worked…or so he thought.

"Let me go!" Aika shouted before **WHACK!** She clawed the feline in the nose, causing him to yowl in pain. Then, she ran to Zama and tackled him to the ground from the side, then, as Zuli tried to go after her, Aika jumped at him and bit his leg.

" _YOW!"_ cried Zuli before he growled and tried to swipe his claws at Aika, only for her to dodge and bite his nose, causing him to yowl in pain and stumble back. Then, Aika turned around to see Zama charge at her, only for her to leap up and bit his ear.

" _AGH!"_ Zama yelped as he tried to pull his ear away from Aika. _"Stop it! Lemme go!"_

Then, while still biting his ear, Aika began to shift into her hybrid form, her paws looking more like hands while her human chin showed, and she grabbed Zuli around his neck and threw him against a tree. Then, as Zuli lunged at her again, she punched him in the jaw, causing Ginger to gasp.

"Aika…!" she whispered in shock, but then she gasped as she saw Zuka charge at Aika from behind. "Look out!"

Aika turned and gasped as the cat lunged at her, but then, out of nowhere, a giant hand appeared and grabbed him right out of the air before throwing him off into the distance as he yowled. His brothers' jaw dropped in disbelief, but then they heard a growling sound behind them, causing them to turn to see Blizzard, who snarled viciously. The two cats yelped in fright before they turned and ran away, and the white wolf-dog growled as he momentarily chased after them, nearly catching Zuli by the tail with his teeth, only to miss by a hair as they disappeared into the underbrush.

" _And don't come back!"_ Blizzard shouted as he turned to face Aika, and soon after, Robin appeared.

"Blizzard! Aunt Robin!" Aika exclaimed as she turned into her Wolf Form and ran up to them, and Robin soon picked her up and pulled her into a hug.

"It's good to see you, too, Aika," said the archaeologist. "Are you all right, dear?"

"I'm okay," Aika said. "I did have it handled…for a little while."

" _Luffy's taught you well,"_ Blizzard pointed. _"Good job, kiddo."_

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled, but then paused. "Wait…what are you two doing here?"

"Well…you remember when Luffy found you, last night?" Robin asked, earning a nod from Aika. "Well, Aika…on his way back, something attacked him."

"What?!" Aika questioned.

"He's all right, though!" Robin assured. "He's healing back at the _Sunny_."

"Then…why are you here?" Aika asked.

"Something really is off about this island," Robin answered, "which is why Blizzard and I came out to investigate. While we were out here, we ran into a bunch of children, led by a boy named Cilantro."

"What?!" Ginger asked as she approached. "You met my brother?!"

"Your brother?" Robin repeated. "Wait…are you Ginger?"

"Yes," Ginger answered.

"Well, I'm glad I found you," Robin said, putting a hand on Ginger's shoulder. "Your grandfather sent my friends and I to come and bring you and your brother back home."

"…I…I don't want to go back home," Ginger said. "This is my home, now…here with Miss Anya!"

"Ginger," Aika said, sadly.

"Ginger…you have to understand, we're to save you," Robin said. "This place is not what you think it is. It's evil…and so is Anya!"

"No!" Ginger shouted. "I don't believe you!"

"What about Elaine?" Robin asked. "The girl who went to 'sleep with Kyuubi' before you?"

"Who?" Aika asked.

"S-stop it!" Ginger cried, turning away and covering her ears. "Just stop it, already!"

"Ginger…you need to know the truth," Robin said. "Whatever Anya did to Elaine, she'll do to you, too! Don't you understand by now?!"

"I UNDERSTOOD WHEN ELAINE DIDN'T COME BACK!" cried Ginger, causing Robin, Aika, and Blizzard to gasp in surprise…and soon after, the girl broke down in tears.

"…I knew…" Ginger sobbed. "I knew, since day that Elaine left, that something was wrong…but I didn't want to believe it…!"

"…Ginger…!" Aika whispered, sadly.

" _Poor kid,"_ Blizzard muttered, looking at Ginger with sympathy.

"…I just wanted to keep believing this lie," Ginger said, sniffling. "I didn't want to admit that anything was wrong…I wanted to believe that this place was actually a paradise…a place where I can die happily."

"…Because of your disease?" Robin asked, earning a nod from the brunette.

"How did you know about that?" asked Aika.

"Cilantro told us," Robin answered. "…Ginger…please, tell us what you know."

"…I don't know much," Ginger replied. "All I know is that there's something awful going on around here."

"Well, that doesn't help much," Robin answered.

"Wait a minute!" Aika exclaimed. "I think I might've found something!"

"What is it, Aika?" Robin asked.

"Well…you'll have to follow me to find out," Aika replied.

XXX

Concurrently…

 **CRASH!** Luffy cried out in pain as he hit the wall behind him, while Anya smirked as she glared at him.

"Is that the best you can do, Straw Hat?" Anya asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Bitch…!" Luffy hissed as he stood up and ran at her again, imbuing his arms with Haki. "Gum-Gum GATLING!"

He sent a flurry of punches at Anya, who deftly evaded his fists without so much as batting an eyelid. Then she leapt up and landed behind Luffy before raising her left leg and kicking the Straw Hat Captain in the back.

"UGH!" Luffy cried, feeling the wounds on his back pulsing from the force of the kick.

"Normally, I wouldn't dare lay my hands or feet on a lady," Sanji began, "but in your case, I think for once, I'll make an exception!"

With that, he charged at her while he spun around in place, then stopped, revealing his blazing leg.

"Diable Jambe…COLLIER STRIKE!"

 **BAM!** He kicked Anya in the neck…or so it seemed, for she grabbed the cook by the leg he tried to kick her with, while it was still afire, and then she swung him around and slammed against the railing, head-first!

"GAH!" Sanji cried, blood dripping from his head.

Anya smirked, but then she is suddenly grabbed from behind by Franky and Chopper, who is in his Heavy Point form.

"Zoro! Bones!" he shouted. "We got her!"

"Now's your chance!" Chopper added.

Soon after, Zoro and Brook came charging towards Anya, who remained surprisingly calm as they both drew their swords. Then, Anya grabbed Franky and Chopper by the sides of their heads and then bonked them together, disorienting the both of them, and then she leapt up and kicked Brook right in the skull, and then turned back-handed Zoro in the face.

"AGH!" Zoro grunted. "Dammit, what's with her?! She's so agile!"

"Certain Death, Green Star: SARGASSO!" Usopp shouted as he fired a Pop Green at Anya, which grew into some giant vines and wrapped around Anya. "Ha! How do you like that?!"

 **SLICE!** Anya drew her sword and easily sliced through the vines.

"…Why didn't I see that coming?" Usopp asked.

"Smooth move, Usopp!" Nami chided.

"Oh, get off my back!" Usopp barked. "I didn't think she'd do that!"

"RAAAAARRGH!" Luffy roared as he ran at Anya and punched her in the face, and this time, his knuckles connected with her face…however, she didn't even flinch. "What the-?!"

"Was that supposed to hurt?" asked Anya. "Let me show you how to punch."

 **THWACK!** Her left fist connected with Luffy's cheek, sending him stumbling backwards before he fell down on the deck.

"Unh…!" Luffy groaned as he wiped blood from his lip. "Damn you…!"

Anya chuckled as she approached Luffy.

"You see?" she asked. "You're weak. Always have been and always will be."

Luffy growled before he stood up and charged at Anya, reeling his fist back, but again, she dodged his attack and drove her knee right into his stomach, causing him to cough up bile. Then, she grabbed him and threw him right into Sanji, who got back up again and prepared to attack, only to end up crashing right into the kitchen with Luffy.

"Anyone else?" Anya asked.

"Black Ball…RAIUN ROD!"

Anya turned, only to duck down from Nami's Black Ball Raiun Rod attack.

"You just won't quit, will you?" she asked.

"Gust SWORD!" Nami shouted, pointing her Sorcery Clima-Tact at Anya and unleashing a blast of pressurized wind at her, but the woman suddenly disappeared and reappeared beside her.

"Too slow," said Anya before she kicked Nami in the side, right where the monster stabbed her.

"AGH!" Nami cried as she skid along the deck and hit the railing.

"NAMI!" Luffy cried. "Oh, THAT'S IT!"

He then charged at Anya, who glared at him as he imbued an arm with Haki and stretched it behind himself.

"Gear Second: Armaments!" Luffy shouted, his arm going ablaze. "Gum-Gum…RED HAWK!"

 **FWOOSH!** Luffy tried to punch Anya again, but she somersaulted over him, avoiding his flaming fist.

"You think you can hit me with that again?" Anya asked, causing Luffy to gasp silently.

"What?" he asked, but he was then kicked in the back of his head.

"RAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!" roared Chopper as he charged at Anya in his Heavy Point form, only for Anya to punch him in the face and then his jaw, sending him stumbling back.

"Certain Death: Green Star! DEVIL!" Usopp cried out as he launched another Pop Green at her, this one transforming into a giant flytrap which grabbed her with its vines and prepared to swallow her whole, and yet, she remained surprisingly calm about it. Then, she grabbed the plant by the mouth and a red aura engulfed her arm, and soon after, the flytrap shriveled up and withered!

"What the-?!" Usopp questioned. "But how?!"

"Wait!" Nami exclaimed as she stood up. "Let me try something!" She then held up her Sorcery Clima-Tact again. "MISTY ROD!"

 **FSSSSSSSSSSSSHH!** A mist soon sprayed from the tip of Nami's weapon, engulfing the entire deck in mist. Anya was surrounded by it, and the Straw Hats disappeared from her sight…and yet, she did not show even the tiniest hint of panic or anxiety.

Then, Zoro silently lunged at her from behind him, poised to use his Ultra Tiger Hunt attack, but then, without even looking, Anya held up her sword and blocked his attack!

"What?!" Zoro questioned, but then Anya grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed her forehead against his, causing him to black out, and then she threw him at Brook, who yelped as he fell down from the swordsman's weight. Then, she deftly dodged a huge fireball coming from her right, followed by a familiar iron fist, held by a steel chain, but she grabbed that and pulled on it, yanking Franky closing to her and punching him in the jaw. As she did, though, Chopper jumped at her from behind in Horn Point form, but she grabbed him by one of his antlers and threw him into Franky, causing them both to disappear into the mist. Sanji tried to go for her next, but Anya kicked in the worst place possible for any man: right in his groin.

"Oh, gimme a break…!" Sanji squeaked as he fell down.

Nami ran from behind, preparing to unleash her Heat Egg attack on Anya, but once again, Anya evaded her and back-handed her right in the face, causing her to fall down once again. A pause came, until she hears the sound of a slingshot shooting something, and soon after, a giant wolf made of wolves appeared behind her, growling and snarling.

From where Usopp stood, he could hear something like an explosion. He smirked, thinking he had hit his target, but then Anya appeared behind her and chopped him in his neck.

Finally, it was Luffy's turn again, but she blocked his punches with punches of her own until she eventually hit him across the face, sending tumbling across the deck.

The mist dissipated, revealing the defeated Straw Hats, lying around her, panting and straining.

"How pathetic," said Anya.

"Ugh…!" Nami grunted as she sat up. "How…is this even possible?"

"She can predict all our attacks," Usopp said, "and she's way too fast!"

"And despite everything we throw at her, she just keeps that calm face all the time," added Chopper.

"How is this even possible?" Brook asked. "It's almost…as if she's not human…!"

"…That's because she isn't human," Luffy answered.

"What?!" Franky questioned. "What are you talking about?!"

"…Anya…what the hell are you?!" Luffy asked…causing Anya to grin at him…her teeth taking a sharper form.

XXX

Meanwhile, Aika is seen leading Robin, Blizzard, and Ginger through the cave she found earlier.

"…Is this where Miss Anya took Elaine?" asked Ginger. "It looks so…unsettling."

"How much farther, Aika?" Robin asked.

"Not too much farther now," Aika answered.

" _Man…this place reeks with the stench of rotting flesh,"_ Blizzard muttered, causing Aika to have a look unease. _"What's wrong?"_

"You'll see why, very soon," Aika answered as the group soon neared the chamber she found…and when they did, Robin, Blizzard, and Ginger gasped upon seeing all the bones littered on the cold stone ground, as well as the statue that Aika found, and the skeleton was still there.

"…Good lord…!" Robin whispered in horror.

"…This is where Miss Anya planned to take me to?!" Ginger asked, equally.

'… _What kind of sick woman is this?!'_ Blizzard thought.

As Robin looked around, she spotted something on the wall behind the statue: Poneglyphs.

"Aika, did you see this when you came in here?" Robin asked.

"No," Aika answered, "but I didn't look behind the statue earlier."

"Maybe this will tell us something, then," Robin said as she approached the wall.

"Can you…read those?" Ginger asked.

"Yeah!" Aika replied. "Aunt Robin is amazing like that!"

"'Thou soul is to be given,'" Robin read. "'The soul must be extracted from the heart…to sleep with Kyuubi, thou heart must be pierced. Enter eternal sleep with the divine beast to give Him strength.'" She then gasped in horror. "Oh, no…! Oh, god…that's what she's doing to them!"

"What do you mean?" Aika asked, worriedly. "What is she doing to the children?!"

"…Aika…the statue you see in this room…is a sacrificial altar!" Robin answered.

"A…a what?!" Aika questioned. "What does that mean?!"

" _Anya's killing th_ e _m and offering them as a sacrifice for Kyuubi!"_ Blizzard answered.

"…Oh, my goodness…!" Ginger whispered, even more horrified than before. "That means…I was going to be next!"

"…So that's what Cilantro's been doing," Aika said. "He knew what Anya was up to, so he tried to stop Anya and save the kids."

A pause…but then Ginger sniffled as tears formed in her eyes, once more.

"…I…I don't want to die…!" she whispered. "Not like this…or by my disease…! I don't want to die, either way!"

She then broke down in sobs.

"I can't die…I want…I wanna live…!"

A pause…but then, Aika pulled Ginger into a hug, screwing her own eyes shut to keep her own tears from escaping.

"…You won't die," Aika whispered. "I'll make sure of it…! Because you're my friend!"

"…Aika…!" Ginger whispered before she returned her hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled, and Robin and Blizzard both smiled proudly at their youngest crew member.

"…Luffy's really rubbed off on her," the former said with the latter nodding in agreement.

XXX

"I'll ask you, again!" Luffy barked. "What the hell are you, Anya?!"

Anya chuckled darkly as she looked at the Straw Hats.

"What am I?" she asked. "…Well, Straw Hat…let me tell you."

As she did, her body seemed to pulsate and a red aura began blazing around her. Then, she reached up…and tore off her eye patch. As she raised her head up…she had a broad, toothy grin, full of sharp fangs, and two flashing red eyes with slit pupils and black sclera.

"I…am nothing you've ever seen," she said, her voice sounding sound almost distorted…like two voices, speaking at once: one feminine…and one sounding almost demonic. "I am a divine creature…a God of this land! I am…KYUUBI!"

As soon as she spoke this…her body seemed to bulge in different places, tearing her clothing. Her hands grew and her nails elongated and sharpened at the points. Her feet grew larger, as well, revealing them to be huge paws with a claw on each tip. Her face grew long, and her nose and jaws became canine-like, her nose turning black and her mouth filled with fangs, as well as two huge, pricked ears. Her skin was then covered in orange-gold fur with a white underbelly, and behind her, nine big, bushy tails, lashing around like whips.

"…Holy shit…!" Usopp whispered. "I thought she was a monster…but now this proves it!"

Anya, or rather, Kyuubi let out a howl as he towered over the Straw Hats, standing at least as tall as Franky and Doflamingo combined before he dropped down on all fours, snarling at the Straw Hats.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Dun-Dun-DUUUUUUUN!

Review, please!


	10. Ch 9- The Battle Begins

**Ch. 9- The Battle Begins**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

The Straw Hats stared in shock at Anya's…or rather, _Kyuubi's_ transformation. The huge fox growled at them, chuckling in a sinister manner, his nine tails lashing around like the tongues of a serpent. Usopp, Chopper, Nami, and Brook shook like leaves while Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Franky stared in shock.

Just then, Kumi, who had not been present during the whole fight, came outside, yawning.

" _Hey, guys, what's going on out h-"_ she started, but then she spotted Kyuubi, causing her to put on a comical shocked look. _"AAAAAAAAHH! WHAT IS THAT THING?!"_

"So you're the God of this island?!" Zoro asked. "If that's the case, why take the form of some bitch?! How come we never heard of you?!"

"And more importantly, why kidnap innocent children?!" Nami asked.

"Ah, yes," Kyuubi spoke. "I suppose I should explain. You see, over the past 900 years or so, the people who once inhabited this island began to dwindle…mostly due to sacrificing themselves to me. I fed off their souls, one-by-one…but the ones I find most delicious are the souls of children."

Luffy growled and clenched his fist.

"However," Kyuubi began, "as time went on, my physical body waned. Not only did I need sacrifices…I also needed a host, which is why I took on the guise of women pretending to find orphan children. The women I disguise myself as are actually those I have killed…Anya being the latest one. Now, I've found the perfect new host for me…I believe her name is Ginger, wasn't it?"

"What?!" Nami questioned.

"You monster!" Chopper shouted. "You won't get away with this!"

"Oh, I think I will," Kyuubi began, "because as far as I'm concerned…you fools won't live to see the light of another day! You and all those other brats…because I'm going to kill you all, here and now. And it'll be easy…for a God like me."

"God, huh?!" Luffy asked. "You're no different from that other god I fought! You're a liar and a killer!"

"What was that?!" the demon fox questioned.

"You heard me!" Luffy hissed.

"Ah, c'mon, Luffy!" Usopp complained. "Why you gotta make things worse?!"

Kyuubi roared as he charged at Luffy, who poised himself to strike back. He grabbed the beast by his jaws, but the fox growled as he struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Zoro! Sanji!" Luffy called out, and the two Straw Hats charged at Kyuubi, who glared at them before grabbing them with two of his tails.

"Agh! Hey!" Sanji shouted.

"Let go, fleabag!" Zoro barked.

Kyuubi smirked before he threw Zoro and Sanji aside, causing them to crash into the walls behind them. Then, he grabbed Luffy with his paw and threw him against the deck, roaring in his face.

"HWACHAA!"

 **WHAK!** Chopper, in Kung Fu Point, punched the giant fox in the face.

"Take that!" the reindeer shouted, only for Kyuubi to growl in his face, causing him to go pale. "Uhhh…hi…?"

 **BAM!** Using one of his tail, Kyuubi slammed Chopper away, causing him to go flying into Franky, both of them crashing into another wall.

"Humandrake!" Usopp shouted, shooting another Pop Green into the deck, causing his Humandrake plants to come leaping out at Kyuubi, who shook Luffy off, opened his mouth and **FWOOSH!** A jet of fire burst forth from his throat, reducing the plants to cinders!

"Ah, crap!" the sniper cursed before the fox slammed him into another wall with his tail.

"Now for you," Kyuubi said as he turned to Luffy, who attempted to charge at him, but the fox raised one paw and pinned him against the deck, his claws dangerously close to his jugular vein. "I'll make sure you die slowly, boy…"

All of a sudden, what looked like a giant egg suddenly appeared over Kyuubi's head.

"Time to hatch!" Nami exclaimed. "Rain Clouds!"

 **KRRAAAKK! BWOOMF!** A giant gray cloud hatched from the Weather Egg, and not long after, it started to rain from the cloud, soaking Kyuubi and Luffy.

"Rain?" Kyuubi asked. "You think you can stop me with a little water?!"

"Rrrgh…!" Luffy grunted as he slipped out of his grasp, the rain making it slippery enough for him to do so.

"Brook!" Nami shouted. "Now!"

"Listen to the requiem of the other world…!" Brook whispered as he unsheathed his sword. " _SOUL SOLID_!"

 **KRRIIINNK!** With one swing, Brook's _Soul Solid_ had frozen Kyuubi into ice, thanks to Nami drenching him with her rain clouds. The Straw Hats gathered around the frozen fox, but as Luffy reached his hand out, **FWASH!** Kyuubi's frozen body glowed red until **SMASH!** The demon broke free, using a pulsing red aura to push the Straw Hats back. Usopp and Nami almost went over the railing, but luckily, Zoro and Sanji caught them and pulled them back on board.

"HAHAHAHAHAAA!" Kyuubi laughed. "Is that the best you can do?! Is this REALLY the power of the Straw Hat Pirates?! You're all nothing but a big joke! If this is what you can really do, then you have no chance of beating me! After all…I AM A GOD!"

He then laughed in sinister triumph…but then he noticed Luffy begin to stand up.

"…You wanna see my full strength?" the Straw Hat Captain asked. "Fine…but just so you know…you asked for it!" He then raised his Haki-imbued arm to his mouth.

"W-wait, Luffy!" Chopper cried. "That's not a good idea!"

"Your wounds haven't completely healed yet!" Usopp shouted.

"Luffy, no!" Nami yelled…but it was too late.

"Gear…FOURTH!" Luffy shouted…before he took a deep breath and bit down on his arm.

XXX

Meanwhile, Ginger is walking through the jungle with her friends, all of them clamoring at once in confusion.

"Where are you taking us, Ginger?" asked an auburn-haired boy.

"Where's Miss Anya?" asked a four-year-old girl with her mauve hair in cute little pigtails.

"Now settle down, everyone!" Ginger replied. "Everything will be explained, soon!"

"Ginger!"

Ginger looked upon seeing Aika, as well as Robin and Blizzard, standing before the entrance of Cilantro's rebel camp.

"Did you bring everyone?" Aika asked.

"Yes," Ginger replied. "Everyone I could find. Even the infants."

"Good," Robin answered.

"What is this place?" asked a boy with platinum blonde hair. "Why did you bring us here, Ginger? And who's this lady and dog?"

"Everything will be explained soon," Robin answered. "For now, come with us."

Though still confused, the children obeyed, following the three Straw Hats into the camp. There, they found Cilantro, standing on a platform, with Lilly and all his other followers standing beside him.

"Huh?" muttered one of the boys from Ginger's group. "Hey! He's the guy who keeps bothering us!"

"Why'd you bring us here, Ginger?!" asked a girl with lavender hair. "You're gonna get in trouble, you know!"

"Wait! I can explain!" Ginger cried.

"No!" Robin exclaimed as she stood beside Cilantro. "I can."

"And so can I," Aika added, coming to stand beside the rebel leader, as well. "Everybody…I know you all might be upset about us bringing you here, but you have to listen. There's a reason why Cilantro did what he did."

"Oh, yeah?" asked a rather husky boy with a bit of snark in his tone. "What were they?"

"Listen to me," Cilantro said. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone. I've been trying to save you all from a horrible fate!"

"He's right," Robin added. "This Anya, the one you looked up to so much, has deceived you all. She's no nurturing mother. She's been kidnapping you all from your homes…and sacrificing you all to this 'guardian' of yours! Kyuubi is not a guardian spirit! He's an evil being, feeding off your dead friend's souls!"

"If you all stay here much longer…you're all going to die!"

A pause…but then the children burst out laughing.

"You're full of it, lady!"

"You and Aika sound just like Cilantro!"

"You're all crazy!"

"No!" Aika cried. "You have to believe us! Kyuubi will kill you all!"

"I told you they wouldn't listen," Cilantro answered.

"…I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Robin said, grimly, before turning to Blizzard. "Blizzard…go get the evidence."

Blizzard nodded before he walked away, and then returned with a large bundle. Nearby, Ginger is petting Aika, who had shifted into her Wolf Form and rested her head in her lap like a little dog. Robin glanced them at worriedly, beads of sweat forming on her brow, but then she sighed as she looked at the crowd of children.

"Now listen to me," the Oharan woman said. "What I'm about to show you will shock you all…but hopefully, it will open your eyes to the truth!"

With that, she pulled the sheet away…revealing the skeletal remains of Anya's previous sacrificial offering: Elaine. The children gasped in horror, and some of the toddlers in the group immediately broke down, crying.

"W…what is that?!" asked the husky boy from earlier, his hand trembling as he pointed at the skeleton.

"Not what," Cilantro replied. "Who. I'm sure some of you remember Elaine…don't you?"

Some children in the crowd nodded their heads.

"Well…this is her," the 11-year-old boy spoke. "This is what 'Anya' has truly been doing. She's been killing all your friends, maybe even your siblings, and leaving their bodies in a cave to rot, and all to please some false god!"

At that moment, the children started clamoring amongst themselves.

"S-so…this is what Miss Anya has really been doing?!"

"Then Cilantro really isn't crazy!"

"What are we gonna do?! She's gonna kill us all!"

"I want my Daddy!"

"Children, please!" Robin called. "Let's all be calm! Don't panic!"

"She's right!" Aika added. "My Big Brother can help us! We'll go to him and he'll come up with a plan to get us all off this island!"

Just then, Blizzard spotted something, high up in the sky.

' _What the hell?'_ the wolf-dog. _'What is that, a bird?'_

As the object grew larger, Blizzard gasped as he realized that whatever it was is now falling towards the group. He barked, getting everyone's attention, and as they looked up, they gasped upon seeing what the canine was trying to warn them about.

"LOOK OUT!" Robin cried as she, Aika, Blizzard, Ginger, and all the kids scattered before **THOOM!** The object crashed into the camp, destroying the platform that Cilantro stood upon. Everyone hid behind the remaining huts and foliage they could find, looking at the crater that…whatever it was had made, and as the dust cleared, a large, orange paw reached out and grabbed the edge, and as it pulled the owner out, it is revealed to be…Kyuubi, a huge bruise on his jaw.

The children all gasped at the sight of the demon fox.

"Is that…Kyuubi…?!" asked a 9-year-old boy with a red Criminal shirt.

"He doesn't look anything like the statues! He looks scary!" answered a 5-year-old girl with teddy bear hair clips.

"You see?" Robin asked. "THAT'S what Anya's been sacrificing your friends to."

"Actually…that thing IS Anya!" Aika added. "Or Kyuubi or something!"

'… _That thing came flying from somewhere,'_ thought Blizzard before he looked into the direction from which Kyuubi came from. _'Could it be…?'_

Kyuubi growled and rubbed his jaw.

"How can this be…?!" he whispered. "He…actually managed to hit me?!"

All of a sudden, the kids heard a whooshing sound somewhere in the distance, and it grew louder as it got closer.

"Hey! What's that?" Cilantro asked, pointing up at the sky to another object.

"It looks like it's headed this way, Boss!" Lilly added.

Soon, the newcomer landed on the ground…somewhat. A cloud of steam formed around him, momentarily obscuring everyone's view, but as it cleared, Aika gasped while the rest of the children stared in confusion.

 **BOING! BOING! BOING!** Two legs hopped up and down, carrying a tremendously rounded body.

"What is that?" Cilantro asked. "A rubber ball?"

"It looks like a gorilla," Ginger added.

"It's my Big Brother!" Aika exclaimed.

Kyuubi growled viciously…as Luffy bounced up and down before him, his Haki-imbued body inflated due to his increased muscle mass, one hand raised and one fist reeled back.

"Oh, dear," Robin said. "Kids, we better move to a safer location."

"Huh?" asked a little boy. "But why?"

"Trust us!" Aika answered. "When my Big Brother gets like this, a lot of stuff might get wrecked!"

Heeding their advice, the children began to move to a safer distance, but Aika momentarily remained behind.

"Big Brother!" she called, causing Luffy to glance at her. "Beat that overgrown fleabag!"

A pause…but then Luffy glared at Kyuubi.

"You know I will," he answered.

Aika nodded before she turned and followed the others, leaving Luffy to face Kyuubi alone.

"You…damned parasite!" Kyuubi cursed. "Don't think you've won, just because you managed to lay one hit on me! I am a divine beast! An immortal being! You think you can defeat me?!"

"I don't think I can," Luffy answered. "I know I can. Now, Gum-Gum…"

 **WHOOSH!** Kicking himself from the ground, the Straw Hat Captain flew towards Kyuubi before pointing his compressed legs at the beast.

"RHINO SCHNEIDER~!"

 **WHAM!** Luffy landed a powerful double kick in Kyuubi's chest, causing him to cough up blood, and then **KRASH!** The fox was sent flying through several more huts, even through the tent where Cilantro was resting. Thankfully, everyone had evacuated before anyone got hurt. Still, the damage was great, but Luffy was only getting started.

Kicking the air with his compressed legs, Luffy flew towards Kyuubi at lightning speed. The fox growled in both ferocity and frustration before stretching out his tails, attempting to impale Luffy before he could reach him, but when the tips of his tails collided with Luffy's stomach, they only bounced off of his body.

"What?!" Kyuubi questioned before Luffy held up his compressed fists.

"Gum-Gum…LEO BAZOOKA!"

 **WHOOSH!** Luffy's arms flew towards Kyuubi, who jumped out of the way and high up into the air. The beast smirked, thinking he had outwitted the powerful pirate. However, Luffy was never one to be outmatched by anyone or anything.

"DOUBLE CULVERIN!" Luffy shouted before he redirected his fists, which both slammed into Kyuubi's stomach, sending him crashing into the ground once again.

"AGH!" Kyuubi cried out in pain as he hit a tree. He groaned as he stood up and shook his head, relieving himself of disorientation, before turning to glare at his opponent. At that moment, as Luffy landed before him, Kyuubi noticed that he seemed to be panting. A smirk came across the demon's lips as he stood up.

"What's this?" he asked. "Getting tired already, boy?"

"I'm just getting started," Luffy hissed, still bouncing up and down.

"Hmph!" Kyuubi scoffed. "We'll see about that."

XXX

Concurrently, Robin, Blizzard, Aika, and the kids are running through the jungle, getting a good distance away from the fighting…but even from where they stood, they could still feel the rumblings caused by Luffy's attacks.

"Wow!" said one of the boys in the group. "Is that really your brother, Aika?! He's amazing!"

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled. "I know! My Big Brother's gonna be the next King of the Pirates, one day!"

Hearing this caused all the children to gasp.

"King of the Pirates?! That guy?!" they all questioned in shock.

"Yep!" Aika answered. "If he can't beat Kyuubi, then no one can!"

Robin and Blizzard both chuckled at this.

"Hey! Robin! Blizzard!"

"Aika! Over here!"

Everyone turned to see Usopp, Nami, and Kumi waving to them.

"Big Sis Nami! Kumi!" Aika cried as she ran to the navigator and jumped into her arms.

"Oh, Aika!" Nami exclaimed, sounding close to tears. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

" _Aika!"_ Kumi cheered as she licked the young D. Carrier's face. _"I missed you so much!"_

"I missed you, too, Kumi!" Aika added as she hugged the Akita pup.

"Hey, did you guys see Luffy?!" Usopp asked.

"We sure did," Robin answered as she pointed behind her. "He's back that way, fighting Kyuubi as we speak!"

"I don't think he's gonna last very long," Nami answered. "He's still recovering from the last time he faced Kyuubi!"

"Talk about reckless, right?!" Usopp complained.

" _Don't remind me,"_ Blizzard said.

"Oh!" Nami exclaimed as she noticed the children. "Are these all the kids?"

"Yeah, this is all of them," Robin answered. "Tarragon's grandchildren included."

"Perfect," Nami said before **BOOM!** They felt another tremor. "Whoa!"

"Uh…maybe it's not safe to talk here!" Usopp suggested.

"Follow us, kids!" Nami answered. "We know a safe place to stay until the fight is over!"

The children all nodded before they followed after the Straw Hat members, but as they did, Aika once again glanced back in the direction they came from.

" _Aika?"_ Kumi asked. _"What are you doing? Let's go!"_

Aika just stared back, looking almost concerned, but then Kumi approached her and put her paw on her arm.

" _Don't worry about him, too much, Aika,"_ the pup reassured. _"After all…this is Luffy we're talking about."_

"…I know," Aika answered. "That doesn't mean I can't be worried about him, though…he is my Big Brother. Aside from Big Brother Sabo, he's the only one I've got."

" _He'll be okay,"_ Kumi replied. _"From what Blizzard told me, he's survived worse. Now c'mon, we gotta move."_

Aika looked at her canine compatriot before nodding her head and following after the others.

XXX

"RAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

" _ **GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAARR!"**_

 **WHAM!** Both Luffy and Kyuubi collided with each other, creating a massive shockwave that devastated the entire camp. Both of them glared at each other, dead in the eye, but eventually, the force of their attacks pushed each other back. Kyuubi tumbled through the wreckage, as did Luffy, who ended up crashing into a treehouse. Kyuubi grunted as he picked himself off the ground, then looked around for any sign of Luffy, when suddenly, he spotted something drop to the ground in front of him. He grinned, chuckling evilly as he approached the tree it fell in front of…and looked down to see Luffy, panting breathlessly, some of his bandages even falling off his body.

"Run out of tricks, Straw Hat?" the demon fox asked before he stomped on Luffy's back, causing him to cry out in pain. "You weak, worthless little rat! No…you're lower than a rat…you're a pathetic insect! And now…I'm going to show you what happens to insects that get too confident and don't remember their place!"

He then opened his mouth, from which a red aura emanated. Luffy gasped as he tried to get up and run, but his body was too weak and injured to do so. Then, **BLAM!** A red blast of energy surged from Kyuubi's open jaws, promising to incinerate the Straw Hat Captain where he lied…but then…

"YOINK!"

 **SNATCH!** Something dashed by and grabbed Luffy, thus avoiding the blast all together. As Kyuubi looked in disbelief, he spotted a familiar of blonde hair, ducking into the underbrush and taking Luffy with it. The fox growled before throwing his head up to the sky and roaring in fury.

"DAAAAAAAAAMN YOOOOOOOOOOOOOUU!"

In the jungle, it is revealed the one who rescued Luffy was none other than Sanji, who had his captain slung over his right shoulder.

"You keep this up, buddy," the cook started, "and we'll all get gray hairs from fretting over you so damn much!"

"Thanks…Sanji," Luffy said. "Sorry…I guess I couldn't beat him in time."

"Don't start with that crap!" Sanji cursed. "Once you get your second wind, then you can send that fleabag to Kingdom Come!"

XXX

Meanwhile, in another cave located somewhere on the island, the children are all huddled together along with the rest of the Straw Hats. All around them, they could see nothing but shipwrecks and debris, some older-looking than others, and it did make some of the kids nervous.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled. "This is quite unsettling, I must say."

"I don't feel any trembling anymore," Chopper said. "Do you think it's over?"

" _I don't know, little buddy,"_ Blizzard answered.

Some of the boys were admiring Franky, who was showing them all his "super" features to keep them calm.

"Wow! Look at this guy!"

"He looks like a real robot!"

"So cool!"

"So why are we in here?" Ginger asked.

"We're just here to think of a plan on how to get you all out of here," Robin answered.

"At first, we were only going to rescue Aika, Cilantro, and you," Nami added, "but we didn't think that there'd be THIS many kids here."

"I did a headcount," Usopp started, "and I'd say there are more than 60 of you tykes!"

"The _Sunny_ can't hold all of you," Franky spoke up. "We'd have to make at least three trips from here to Humdrum Island and back again to get you all back home."

"So then how are we gonna get outta here?" Cilantro asked.

"I think I can make you guys a passenger ship with all these shipwrecks," Franky answered.

"Can you, really?" Ginger asked.

"Of course he can!" Aika replied. "Franky did make the _Thousand Sunny_ , after all! If he can build that, he can build anything!"

Franky chuckled sheepishly at this.

"Ah, shucks, Aika," he said. "You're really making me blush, here!"

"Hey," Zoro answered. "Does anyone know where the cook went?"

"You called?"

Everyone looked up to see Sanji, carrying Luffy over his shoulder.

"Sanji! Luffy!" Nami exclaimed.

Sanji approached everyone before he gently laid Luffy on the ground.

"Big Brother!" Aika cried in alarm. "Are you okay?!"

"Haa…haa…!" Luffy panted. "A…Aika."

"What happened to Kyuubi?!" Usopp asked. "Did you finish him?!"

"Unfortunately, no," Sanji answered. "I had a sneaking feeling that he wouldn't be able to pull it off in time, so he got lucky I came in and saved his bacon."

"This isn't good," Chopper said as he looked at Luffy's body and saw blood beginning to seep through his bandages. "His wounds are starting to reopen!"

" _Plus, he won't be able to use Haki for ten minutes!"_ Blizzard added.

"But…what's gonna happen, now?" Aika asked, worriedly…and she soon got her answer.

 **RRRRRRRMMMMMMBB!** Without warning, another tremor occurred, this one bigger than the last.

"Now what's happening?!"

 **BOOSH!** Aika gasped as she heard the sound of rushing water.

"I'll be right back!" she called before shifting into her Wolf Form and running outside.

" _Aika, wait!"_ Kumi cried as she followed after her. As the two came out, they gasped upon seeing a geyser, jutting up out of the earth. **BOOSH! BOOSH!** Two more geysers formed, and already, a large pool had formed around the mouth of the cave, threatening to flood it. **BOOOOSSSHH!** Another geyser formed, shooting several trees high up into the air.

" _W-what's going on?!"_ Kumi asked. _"What's with all these geysers?!"_

 _ **GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAWWWWRR!**_ A huge roar sounded off throughout the island, and Aika gasped in horror as she saw Kyuubi…only now, he looked at least 10 times bigger than he did before, practically towering over the jungle canopy!

"K…Kyuubi?!" Aika questioned.

"Thanks to all the countless souls I've absorbed," the fox began, "I am still all-powerful! I won't waste my time, killing you all one-by-one…I'LL JUST SINK THIS WHOLE ISLAND!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I know, it's been a while since I updated this, but just so you know, I'm almost at the big finish! Just one more chapter (and maybe an epilogue) and BAM! Done, baby!

Review, please!


	11. Ch 10- Final Stand

**Ch. 10- Final Stand**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

"Kyuubi's trying to sink the island!" Aika cried as she and Kumi came back inside.

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted in alarm.

"He's making geysers pop up everywhere!" Aika replied. "Unless we do something, we're all gonna drown!"

"Dammit!" Sanji cursed. "What are we gonna do?! We need a plan here!"

"I've got one!" Usopp exclaimed. "Let's work as fast we can, building that passenger ship, and get the hell outta dodge! Hang on, Franky! I'll help you!"

"Me, too!" cried a comically panicked Chopper and Brook.

"NO, YOU IDIOTS!" Nami shouted.

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Usopp questioned.

"Don't you get it?!" Nami asked. "Even if Kyuubi does sink this island and we manage to get away, what good will it do?! It's more likely he's gonna reform this place and go back to kidnapping kids!"

"She's right!" Cilantro agreed. "We can't just run away! We gotta stop Kyuubi, once and for all!"

"But how?!" Usopp asked. "Kyuubi is a GOD! How are we gonna defeat a god?!"

"What's the big deal?" Zoro asked. "We defeated Eneru, didn't we?"

"And besides, we can't panic!" Robin added, holding two of the children close to her. "If we do, the children will panic, too, and scatter everywhere."

"Plus, Luffy still hasn't recovered yet!" Chopper cried, replacing Luffy's used bandages. "At the rate Kyuubi's making geysers appear, we'll all be underwater before Luffy can use Gear Fourth again!"

"I just gotta work fast!" Franky shouted. "I hate a rushed repair job, though, but I guess I don't have much choice!"

"Some of us can help if you want!" Cilantro said, with some of the children clamoring in agreement.

"Sure! Just as grab as many materials as you can!" Franky replied, and the kids soon got to work.

"…Umm…guys?" Aika asked.

"What is it, Aika?" asked Sanji.

"Listen…I think I might have an idea," Aika started, "but…I need you to cover me."

"What?" Luffy asked as he tried to sit up. "W-what do you mean? What are you gonna do, Aika?!"

"…Something that you would do…?" Aika answered, grinning sheepishly.

"We're dead," Usopp muttered, causing Nami and Sanji to clock him on the head. "OUCH!"

"SHUT UP, STUPID!" Nami barked.

"BE MORE SUPPORTIVE!" Sanji shouted. "Even if it does sound outrageously crazy."

"Aika, no!" Luffy cried as he tried to sit up, only to grunt in pain. "I-I won't let you!"

"But Big Brother-" Aika started.

"Aika, he's right!" Ginger spoke up, putting her hands on Aika's shoulders. "What if Kyuubi kills you?!"

"I know that," Aika replied, "but it's a risk I'll have to take! My Big Brother always told me…if you don't take risks, you can't create a future."

"I did tell her that," Luffy said with a slight grin. "I will take credit for that."

"Besides, I know I'm no match for Kyuubi," Aika said. "If anything, I'm not even nearly as strong as my Big Brother or anyone else on the crew, yet…but I didn't say anything about fighting Kyuubi! I'm just trying to buy us all some time!"

"But Aika-" Luffy said as he tried to stand up, but he stumbled, causing Blizzard to yelp in surprise before he ran up and caught him on his back.

" _Hold it, Luffy!"_ Blizzard cried. _"Are you nuts?! It's too soon for you to go out there!"_

"But I can't let Aika do this!" Luffy argued. "I'm her big brother! I gotta protect her!"

"Big Brother," Aika spoke up. "Please…you have to trust me…please?" She then gave Luffy her cutest puppy dog eyes, ever.

A pause…until Luffy sighed.

"…Who am I to say no to cuteness?" he asked, causing Aika to smile. "But look here, Aika…you better come back here in one piece. Got that?"

(A/N: No pun intended.)

"I got it," Aika nodded.

"Good," Luffy nodded back. "Now go on! Get going!"

"Right!" Aika answered before she shifted into her wolf form and dashed out of the cave.

" _Aika, wait up!"_ Kumi called after her as she ran. _"I'm going with you!"_

"…Guys," Luffy said to the rest of the Straw Hats. "Go out there…make sure nothing happens to Aika, okay? I'm counting on you guys to protect my little sister for me…you understand?"

"Of course, Luffy," Nami said, holding her Sorcery Clima-Tact.

"You got it, Luffy!" Usopp added.

"Leave it to us!" Chopper exclaimed.

"To leave a young lady such as Aika to die is against chivalry," Sanji spoke up, lighting up a cigarette with his Sleeping Mermaid lighter.

"We shall guard Young Miss Aika with our very lives!" Brook declared. "Even though I'm already dead. Yohohoho!"

"It's not every day we get to take down a god," Zoro smirked, drawing his swords.

Robin chuckled at this.

"I agree," she said, using her powers to grow several arms out of her left arm.

"You guys go!" Franky exclaimed. "I gotta stay here and make sure this passenger ship is ready to sail!"

"Blizzard, you stay here and make sure Luffy stays until he recovers, got it?" Nami asked, earning a salute from the wolf-dog. "Good boy…now let's move out!"

On that, the Straw Hats sent to cover for Aika ran out, as well.

XXX

Aika looked out with Kumi following behind her, only to gasp and duck behind a tree, causing the latter to do same. As they peeked around the corner, they spotted Kyuubi in the distance, roaring furiously as he smashed a boulder into a mountain.

"There he is…!" Aika whispered.

" _Hey, wait, why are we whispering?"_ Kumi asked. _"He can't hear us from way over there, can he?"_

Without warning, Kyuubi whipped around, one ear perked up.

"… _Uh-oh,"_ Kumi squeaked while Aika glared at her.

"Way to go, Kumi!" the Honshu Wolf Girl whispered, but as Kyuubi was about to approach their hiding place…

"HEY, FOX BREATH!"

"Huh?" Kyuubi muttered as he turned to his right, only to be kicked in the face by Sanji's Bien Cuit Grill Shot! "GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!"

"Go! Get going!" Sanji shouted, causing Aika and Kumi to keep running. Sanji growled as he kept kicking Kyuubi in the jaw with his blazing feet, but then the fox grabbed him in midair and opened his mouth, attempting to devour him until **SLASH!** An air-compressed slash hit the fox's cheek, causing him to roar in pain and drop Sanji. Thankfully, the cook landed on his feet.

"Gee, Moss-head!" Sanji called out. "I didn't know you cared!"

"Shut up, Dartboard!" Zoro barked as he stood behind Kyuubi. "I just can't accept anyone else killing you except for me!"

"You will pay for this insolence!" Kyuubi growled before he fired another blast of energy at Zoro, who crossed his Haki-imbued blades in an attempt to block the monstrous fox's attack. However, the swordsman was pushed back by the blast, even though he managed to keep his footing.

"Hey, Robin!" the swordsman called. "Anytime would be really nice!"

"Hang on, Zoro!" Robin called out, standing on a cliff behind Kyuubi before she crossed her arms. "Mil Fleur! Gigantesco Mano!"

Suddenly, 4 gigantic arms grew out of the ground and wrapped the fox's tails.

"What?!" Kyuubi questioned. "What is this?!"

"CLU-" Robin started, only for Kyuubi to bite down on one of the arms, causing her to scream in pain.

"ROBIN!" Zoro cried as he lunged at the demon vulpine. "YOU BASTARD FOOOOOOX!"

 **WHAM!** Kyuubi slammed the swordsman against the ground with one of his tails before he used one of his paws to pin him there.

"You humans don't know when to quit, do you?!" the fox asked as Zoro struggled to get unpinned.

"Nope!"

As Kyuubi turned upon hearing that voice, something flew into his nose and then bloomed into a giant Rafflesia flower, sticking out of his nostril. The flower soon released a foul stench that caused the fox to howl in agony.

"GET IT OUT!" Kyuubi roared as he clawed at the flower. "THE STENCH!"

Usopp laughed as he stood on a cliff, holding his Black Kabuto triumphantly, but then, **WHACK!** Nami smacked him in the back of his head.

"What did you do that for?!" shouted the navigator. "Now you've really got him mad!"

"I thought we were supposed to distract him!" Usopp argued.

"You didn't have to fire that stinking flower into his nose!" Nami barked.

"Uh…you guys?" Brook asked.

"What is it, Brook?!" Nami and Usopp questioned.

 **GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWRR!** Kyuubi roared as he lunged at the cliff the trio are standing on, causing it to crumble. Thankfully, they managed to get away, just in time, clinging to some nearby trees for dear life.

"Why did we ever let Aika go through with this crazy idea of hers?!" Usopp questioned with comical tears of fright. "She really is our captain's sister! ALREADY, SHE'S TRYING TO GET US ALL KILLED!"

"And I'm already dead…!" Brook whimpered. "Yoho…yohohoho…!"

Nami looked around, hoping to spot Aika somewhere amongst the destroyed jungle, even as more geysers were bursting up everywhere. She soon spotted her and Kumi, leaping off a boulder together before they continued running to…well, wherever it was Aika was headed. However, Nami gasped as Kyuubi soon spotted the Honshu Wolf Girl and Akita pup, as well.

"Oh, no…!" Nami whispered in horror. "AIKA! KUMI! LOOK OUT! HE SEES YOU!"

 **BOOM!** Kyuubi fired another blast of energy at Aika and Kumi, who gasped and froze, but then, out of nowhere, Chopper jumped in between them.

"GUARD POINT!" the little reindeer shouted before he turned into a humongous ball of fur, blocking the blast and getting his fur mildly singed.

"Chopper!" Aika exclaimed. "Are you okay?!"

"Don't worry about me, Aika!" Chopper replied. "You and Kumi get going!"

"Right!" Aika nodded before she ran off. "Let's go, Kumi! Hurry!"

" _Where are we even going?!"_ Kumi asked as she followed her.

XXX

Back in the caves, Franky and the children are working as fast and hard as they can to build the passenger ship using the wrecks.

"C'mon!" Franky called. "Move faster!"

Cilantro grunted as he tried to pick up a board, but he felt to one knee as he felt the pain from his wounds.

"Rrgh…dammit…!" he cursed.

"Cilantro!" Ginger cried as she went to his side. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," Cilantro answered as he attempted to stand up, only to fall, once again.

"Hang on," Ginger said as she picked up the board, as well. "Let me help."

"No, I got this-" Cilantro started, but his sister promptly shushed him.

"You need to stop burdening yourself so much," she said. "You're not alone, you know. You've already done so much…and now I think it's time I return the favor."

"Ginger…" Cilantro muttered…before he smiled. "Okay."

Ginger smiled back at him before she picked up the board and brought it to Franky, who took it and hammered it to the structure.

"Thanks, kid," said the Cyborg.

Meanwhile, Blizzard is still sitting with Luffy, who is breathing heavily.

" _How much longer until you can use Haki again, Luffy?"_ Blizzard asked.

"E…eight minutes…and counting," Luffy answered.

 **RRRRMMMMMMMMMBB!** The ground shook, indicating that another geyser had erupted.

" _Dammit…!"_ Blizzard cursed. _"Aika, whatever you're planning, you'd better hurry!"_

XXX

 **BOOSH! BOOSH!** More geysers formed, jutting up out of the ground. Birds squawked as they flew away and animals scattered everywhere. Rocks and trees tumbled from landslides.

Aika and Kumi panted as they kept running, avoiding any obstacles in their way.

" _Aika!"_ Kumi called, jumping over a fallen tree. _"I don't understand! Why are we going this way?! What are you trying to do?!"_

"Even if Big Brother does manage to use Gear Fourth again," Aika started as she darted through the trees and shrubs, "Kyuubi will still just get right back up again!"

" _Then what's the point of buying time for Luffy?!"_ Kumi asked.

"Just trust me!" Aika replied.

All of a sudden, a familiar paw stepped out in front of the duo, causing them to brake to a halt.

"Oh, no," Aika muttered in annoyance. "Not you three again."

Indeed, it was the Jungle Cat Bros., Zuka, Zama, and Zuli.

" _Well, well,"_ said Zama. _"Look who it is. Our little wolf friend."_

"Not now!" Aika barked. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

" _Ah, c'mon,"_ said Zuli. _"What's the rush? Why don't we have just one parting meal before this whole place sinks?"_

"No, thank you," Aika answered. "Now get out of my way! I don't have time to deal with any of you!"

 **BOOSH!** Another geyser appeared, not too far from them.

" _Aika…!"_ Kumi said, nervously.

" _Might as well have a bite for the road,"_ said Zuka, preparing to lunge at Aika. _"Hope you said your prayers, kid!"_

Just as he and his brothers were about to pounce on Aika and Kumi, the former's eyes went wide, and a forceful shockwave burst forth from her, causing the three cats to freeze.

"Are you guys gonna get outta my way or what?!" Aika questioned, and soon, the trio stepped aside, shaking nervously. "That's what I thought."

" _Jeez, Aika…!"_ Kumi muttered. _"You can sure use that Conqueror's Haki when you need to, huh?"_

"Now look, you three!" Aika barked. "I have to get moving! My Big Brother is about to fight that fox and stop him from destroying this island all together, and I can't help him if you interfere! Now if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be!"

With that, the young D. Carrier and Kumi prepared to head off.

" _Wait!"_ called Zama, causing Aika to stop and look at him. _"Are you…really planning on stopping that monster?"_

"…Yeah," Aika answered.

"… _Do_ e _s that mean that we don't have to worry about getting killed by that thing?"_ asked Zuka.

" _Why do you care?"_ Kumi asked.

"… _A long time ago, we had a 4_ _th_ _brother,"_ answered Zuka. _"His name was Zik…and that woman…or actually…that fox, killed him and used his pelt as a rug. It's because of that that we don't approach him."_

"… … …" Aika was quiet.

" _If you r_ eally do mean what you say," said Zuka…his eyes starting to tear up, _"then…will that monster really be stopped once and for all?!"_

"…Absolutely," Aika answered…before she dashed off, once again. Kumi gaped at her best friend…but then smiled and followed after her.

"… _Thank you…!"_ Zuka whispered as tears fell from his eyes, crying silently with his brothers.

XXX

"BLACK BALL: RAIUN ROD!"

 **KRRZZZZZT!** Nami hit Kyuubi in the eyes with her Black Ball Raiun Rod attack, causing him to roar in pain as the lightning struck his whole body.

" **AAAAAAAAAARRRGH!** **MY EYES!"**

He shook his head and blinked his eyes, but the demonic fox's vision was blurred, so much so, he didn't see two gigantic hands forming in from of him.

"SHOCK!" Robin shouted as she threw her fists downward, causing the hands to clasp and **THWAM!** They slammed into Kyuubi's crown, causing him even further disorientation. Then, Brook dashed towards the huge fox, preparing to draw his sword.

"Song of Scratches…BLIZZARD SLICE!"

 **SLASH! KRAKK!** With a swing of his sword, Brook left a freezing cut on Kyuubi's cheek, causing him to roar in even more pain.

"Usopp!" Robin called. "Now!"

"SARGASSO!" Usopp shouted, shooting another Pop Green, which released a net of Sargasso that wrapped around Kyuubi's torso. "Got him!"

A pause, but then, Kyuubi growled as he soon broke free, howling to the sky.

"…Why did I think that would work?" Usopp asked in a deadpan tone.

"LOOK OUT!" Zoro shouted as he pushed the sniper out of the way of another energy blast.

"YOU DAMN INSECTS!" Kyuubi roared. "I'LL CRUSH YOU AND SWALLOW YOU ALL WHOLE!"

"Fat chance, Foxy!" Sanji shouted. "COLLIER STRIKE!"

 **BOOM!** He kicked Kyuubi in the jaw with a blazing leg, knocking out a few teeth.

"Nami!" Zoro called. "How much longer until Luffy comes to?!"

"About 6 minutes!" Nami answered.

"Dammit, we can't keep this up!" Zoro cursed. "We're gonna need more!"

" **BUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH~!** " a voice bellowed, and as the group turned, they saw Chopper emerge from the trees in his Monster Point form, roaring at Kyuubi.

"Chopper!" Usopp cheered.

"Go get 'em!" Sanji called.

Chopper growled as he stomped toward Kyuubi, who charged back at him before they clashed. Chopper punched Kyuubi in the jaw, but the fox countered by slashing him in the shoulder. Thankfully, Chopper's thick fur took the brunt of the damage, and the monstrous reindeer responded by delivering a powerful uppercut to Kyuubi's chin, causing him to stumble back. Then, Chopper grabbed the vulpine and performed a suplex maneuver, throwing Kyuubi onto his head.

The Straw Hats stood around the sidelines, cheering their transformed doctor on.

"C'mon, Chopper!" Zoro shouted. "You can do it, man!"

"Show Kyuubi what a real monster is!" Usopp added.

"You got this!" Nami called out.

 **WHACK!** Kyuubi hit Chopper in the face with one of his tails, causing him to stumble back.

"Oh, my!" Brook exclaimed.

"He'll feel that tomorrow," Robin muttered.

 **BAM!** Chopper responded by punching Kyuubi in the gut, causing him to cough up blood. However, the fox only grabbed Chopper and clamped his jaws down on his left shoulder, causing the reindeer to roar out in shock and pain until the fox threw him towards the Straw Hats, who all cried out in surprise before they scrambled out of the way of his humongous body, just in time!

"Chopper!" Nami cried. "Are you all right?!"

"Ugh…I think so…!" Chopper groaned as he sat up and held his head.

"Had enough yet, raccoon dog?" asked Kyuubi.

"What?!" Chopper questioned before he roared and charged at him. "I'm a reindeer!"

"That's one way to get him up," Sanji said, sweat-dropping.

"Chopper can't keep up that form for too much longer," Robin said, "and Luffy has about 5 minutes until he recovers the use of his Haki."

"And whatever the hell Aika is doing, she better hurry up!" Usopp cried.

XXX

Aika panted as she stood atop a hill, surveying her surroundings until she spotted something up ahead.

"There it is!" she exclaimed as she ran. "C'mon, Kumi! We're almost there!"

" _Haa…haa…!"_ Kumi panted as she followed her. _"Almost…where, exactly?"_

As soon as the Akita caught up to the Wolf Girl, she gasped upon seeing what Aika had found: the cave entrance in the form of Kyuubi's head, water from the geysers flowing into it.

" _Uh…we're going in there?!"_ Kumi asked. _"Why?!"_

"You'll see," Aika answered as she went inside with Kumi tentatively following.

XXX

Inside the tunnel, Aika and Kumi waded through the water that flooded it, the torches still lighting the way. As they walked, Aika seemed to be stumbling with every step she made until she finally leaned against the wall, panting weakly.

" _Aika?"_ Kumi asked, concerned. _"Aika?! What's wrong?!"_

"…The water…" Aika groaned.

"… _Oh, no,"_ Kumi whispered in realization. _"It's sea water, isn't it?"_

Aika nodded in response. There was a slight beat, but then Kumi went up and put the Wolf Girl on her shoulders.

"What are you-" Aika started.

" _We've gotten this far in whatever crazy plan you're up to,"_ Kumi answered. _"We're not gonna stop now. I'll carry you the rest of the way if I have to."_

"Kumi…" Aika smiled, causing the pup to smile before continuing onward, even as another tremor shook the ground.

XXX

" **RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!** "

" **GRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR!** "

Chopper and Kyuubi clashed once again, grappling each other like sumo wrestlers. The fox growled before slamming his head into Chopper's nose, causing it to bleed.

"Hoofprint…PALME!" Chopper roared before he slammed his palm into Kyuubi's jaw, once again, causing the fox to fall back.

"Did he do it?!" Brook asked.

Chopper approached Kyuubi, thinking he had triumphed, but then, the fox's eyes shot open and he stood up, punching the reindeer across the face!

"CHOPPER!" the Straw Hats cried as he landed right into a lake of sea water.

"Urrgh…!" Chopper groaned. "Losing…strength…!"

All of a sudden, he shrank back into his Brain Point form, sinking beneath the surface.

"Chopper!" Nami cried as she ran to him and picked him up before he could drown.

"His three minutes are up!" Usopp yelled with dread. "This isn't good!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" laughed Kyuubi. "It's hopeless for you foolish humans! None can beat a God! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!"

Nami glared up at Kyuubi while she held the weakened Chopper in her arms as the rest of the Straw Hats gathered.

"I…I'm sorry," Chopper spoke.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of," Sanji answered. "You did your best as a man…we're proud of you."

Hearing this caused the reindeer to smile, weakly.

"Still…things aren't looking up for us," Usopp chimed in.

"I do believe he's right," Brook started. "Things are looking quite grim, indeed."

"How much longer until Luffy recovers?" Robin asked.

"About 3 minutes," Zoro answered. "We'll have to keep fighting until he gets here."

"What about Aika?" Usopp asked. "I know she's not the type to just up and bail on us!"

"Ah, yes…" Kyuubi muttered. "I almost forgot that little wolf brat…so where is she?"

"Like we're telling you!" Nami barked.

"No matter," Kyuubi said. "Once I'm finished slaughtering all of you, I'll hunt her down and devour her, flesh, bones, blood, and even soul."

"You won't get the chance, Kyuubi," Robin hissed.

"Yeah," Zoro started, "because even if you defeat us…Luffy won't let you lay one claw on his younger sister."

"So you better hope we finish you off before he does," Nami added.

"I'm shaking," Kyuubi said, sarcastically before he charged at the Straw Hats.

XXX

Concurrently, Aika and Kumi stood inside the innermost chamber of the cavern…where Kyuubi's sacrificial altars still stands, despite the walls crumbling around it. Aika stood on dry, solid ground with Kumi beside her, the latter blinking in confusion.

" _So this is it?"_ Kumi asked. _"You came here because of some statue?"_

"This statue is what gives Kyuubi his power," Aika replied…shifting into her Hybrid Form and rubbing her arms together. "Many kids were dragged here to their deaths…many of their souls absorbed by that monster…"

 **KRRZZZZZT!** Aika flexed her paw and fingers, causing static electricity to course through.

"…And now…I'm going to do what's right…and set them free…so stand back."

"… _I hope this works,"_ Kumi said.

"Me, too," Aika replied…before she dashed towards the altar with a loud battle cry before **THWAM!** She slammed her paw against the statue's chest, as if she were piercing the heart of Kyuubi himself.

Aika panted, staring up at the altar…but then gasped as a small hairline fracture suddenly formed on its chest. Then…it crumbled, completely. As quickly as it fell apart…the rumblings on the island had ceased.

XXX

Franky gasped as he looked up from his nearly finished work, as did the kids.

"…You guys hear that?" Franky asked.

"I don't hear anything," said Arthur Jr.

"Exactly," Cilantro answered. "The rumbling…it stopped."

"…Aika," Ginger whispered. "She did it."

"…Hey, Luffy!" Franky called, only to gasp as he saw that his captain and Blizzard had vanished. "What the…where'd they go?!"

Outside, a familiar white blur dashes through the jungle, heading towards the battlefield.

" _You're sure this is okay?"_ Blizzard asked…with Luffy clinging to his back.

"I have a feeling that Aika's done her part," Luffy replied. "Now…I just have to do mine!"

XXX

Kyuubi gasped as he froze, right then and there…and started to shrink down in size. As he did, orbs of white light began to seep out of his body…and they seemed to be giggling as they floated up towards the sky.

"No…!" Kyuubi whispered in horror as he soon found himself at Blizzard's size. "No! This can't be! Why is this happening?!"

"…Are those…?" Zoro asked.

"The souls of the children that Kyuubi had absorbed," Robin answered. "They're leaving his body."

"But how?" Nami asked.

"Hey guys!"

Everyone turned to see Aika and Kumi, the latter back in her full Wolf Form.

"You…!" Kyuubi hissed as he spotted her. "What did you do?!"

"I had it figured out," Aika answered. "You see, even if my Big Brother did get his Haki back, you'd just keep getting back up again and again, so I got rid of the only thing that was keeping you stronger: your sacrificial altar."

Kyuubi growled at Aika…but then smirked.

"…Clever girl," the fox said. "However…I don't need hundreds of thousands of souls…TO KILL YOU!"

On that, he charged at Aika, who gasped in fright before she turned around and ran. Kumi tried to stop the demon fox by biting his ear, but the beast only punted her away like she was nothing. Before too long, the fox had Aika and pinned against a tree, his paw around her neck.

"AIKA!" the Straw Hats cried as they ran to her aid, but Kyuubi quickly whipped them away with his tails.

"You damn brat!" shouted Kyuubi. "I should've killed you from the start! No matter…I can absorb your soul and continue kidnapping other children! In the end, your little plan still failed!"

"…Is that what you think?" Aika asked. "Look behind you."

"Huh?" Kyuubi muttered.

"HEY!"

The fox froze before he turned around…only to see Luffy, sitting atop Blizzard's back

"Straw Hat…" Kyuubi seethed.

"Hey, Aika," Luffy said. "Am I late?"

"Nope," Aika answered, nonchalantly.

"Good," Luffy said before he jumped off of Blizzard's back. "This'll be over in a second."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Kyuubi.

"…10…" Aika spoke up, to the fox's confusion.

"What?" Kyuubi asked. "10?"

"9…" Robin said as Luffy starts to walk.

"8…" Sanji added, and Luffy quickens the pace.

"7…" Nami chimed in. Luffy walks faster.

"6…" Brook piped up, and Luffy breaks into a brisk jog.

"5…" Zoro spoke up as Luffy runs faster, his arm held at his side.

"4..." Usopp smirked, and Luffy growls as he runs even faster.

"3…" Chopper said, still being held by Nami as Luffy nears Kyuubi and Aika runs away.

" _2…"_ Kumi counted, and Luffy is right in front of Kyuubi with his fist reeled back.

" _1..."_ Blizzard grinned…and Luffy imbues his arm with Armament's Haki, causing Kyuubi to gasp.

"No…!"

"You lose, Foxy…"

 **WHAM!** Luffy punches Kyuubi across the jaw, causing all color to just fly off for a moment…until he ultimately sent the demon fox flying.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Yeah, I know, it seems kinda anti-climactic, but what did you expect when I'm tired as heck?

Anyway, after his comes the epilogue. Review, please!


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other characters © Me

* * *

"Big Brother!" Aika cheered as she jumped into Luffy's arms. "You did it! You defeated Kyuubi! I knew you could do it!"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Was there ever any doubt?"

Soon, the rest of the Straw Hats gathered around Luffy.

"Great job, Captain," Zoro praised, putting his hand on Luffy's shoulder. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"It was nothing, really," Luffy said. "Besides, I only finished him off. Aika did all the real work for me."

"Shishishishishi!" Aika giggled, rubbing her finger under her nose.

"That's our Little Sister!" Nami said, petting the Wolf Girl on the head.

" _Yeah, but next time, leave the crazy ideas to your brother, okay?"_ Blizzard asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Luffy questioned.

Everyone laughed at this, but then, Aika's ears seemed to twitch, and she looked off into the direction that Kyuubi went flying in.

"What's that?" she asked.

"What's what?" Robin asked.

Aika pulled herself out of Luffy's arms before she shifted into her Wolf Form and ran off, prompting the others to follow after her. As they did, they soon heard what sounded like wailing, and the closer they got to it, the louder it went.

"What is that?" Usopp asked. "Did one of the kids come out after all the commotion?"

"I don't think so," Luffy answered.

"Hey, guys!" Aika called, standing in front of a bush, where the wailing seemed to be emanating from. "Look over here!"

"What is it, Aika?" Sanji asked as he went over to her side. "Find something?"

"Yeah," Aika answered as she parted the bushes, and as the others came to look, they gasped.

"Oh, my!" Brook exclaimed. "This is quite unprecedented!"

"You're telling me ," Luffy said, scratching the back of his head. "This kinda thing usually doesn't happen."

"Yeah," Chopper agreed. "So…what now?"

XXX

"Whew…!" Franky sighed, wiping his forehead. "Well, it took a while, but the work's finally done."

He and the kids stood before a completely built ship…complete with a new paint job of green, and there was even a dragon for a figurehead.

"This should hold until we get you guys back home," said Franky. "Thanks for all your help!"

"No problem, Cyborg," Cilantro replied.

"Now we just have to wait for Aika and the others to get back here," said Ginger. "Where are they, anyway?"

"Hey, guys!"

Everyone looked back to see Luffy, Aika, and the others. For some reason, Aika seemed to be carrying something in her hat.

"Hey!" Franky greeted. "Judging by how everything's stopped rumbling, I'm guessing you beat Kyuubi?"

"Well…yes and no," Luffy answered.

"It's a bit complicated," Nami added.

Aika stepped forward and held her hat out, causing everyone to gasp, for inside…was a tiny little fox with a single tail, shivering and whimpering.

"A baby fox?" Ginger asked. "Where'd he come from?"

"Uh…about that," Aika said. "I think this baby fox…is actually Kyuubi."

"What?!" the kids questioned.

"We assume that this is actually Kyuubi's one true form," said Robin. "Years of corruption and malice probably turned this fox into what it became. When Aika destroyed his shrine, it caused Kyuubi to lose all his powers…in fact, he even lost all his extra tails."

"Reducing him to this weak, helpless form," Nami concluded.

A pause…but then, Cilantro stepped forward and grabbed the little kit by the scruff of his neck and put him on the ground. Then, he raised his sword, pointing it towards the animal's heart, but before he could plunge it into the fox's heart, Ginger gasped and grabbed his arm.

"Cilantro, no!" she cried. "What are you doing?!"

"What do you think I'm doing?!" Cilantro asked. "I'm gonna kill this damned fox! All he's done is cause us suffering! Well I'm ending it!"

"What good will that do?" Luffy asked, causing the twins to look at him. "Kyuubi's been beaten. You don't need to taint this victory with unnecessary bloodshed."

"But…what if he tries to attack us again?!" Cilantro asked.

"Look at him!" Aika said, standing in front of Kyuubi. "He's weak and helpless, now. He's lost all his powers…I don't think he could attack anyone if he wanted to."

As the kit whimpered, Ginger picked him up and cradled him gently.

"You poor thing," she said. "It's okay. You're safe, now."

The kit blinked its eyes, revealing them to a be soft, gentle amber color instead of Kyuubi's fierce, demonic red.

"Aww, look at that," Nami said. "Now does that look like the face of a monster to you?"

"…He looks innocent enough," said Cilantro.

The kit whimpered softly, causing Ginger to hold him close to her chest, and in response, he gently licked her cheek, which in turn caused the girl to giggle.

"Good little foxy," she said. "Don't worry…I'll take care of you."

" _Aika…do you think this is a good idea?"_ asked the concerned Kumi.

"Ginger's choice," Aika replied, "not mine."

Luffy grinned at this.

"Hey!" Franky called. "The passenger ship's is all set! We're ready to leave whenever you are!"

"You heard him, guys," Nami said. "Everybody on the ship!"

XXX

Later on, the _Thousand Sunny_ is seen sailing away from Kinderinsel, towing the passenger ship full of children behind her. Without Kyuubi's power, there was no longer a danger of getting sucked down to the bottom of the sea by a whirlpool, which meant a safe voyage. The Straw Hats stood at the helm, watching the horizon as Franky steered.

"Full speed ahead to Humdrum Island, Franky!" Nami ordered.

"You got it!" Franky answered.

"What an adventure that turned out to be," Brook said. "My bones are still shaking! Yohohoho!"

"Hey, where are Luffy and Aika?" Zoro asked.

"They're on the passenger ship," Robin answered.

On said ship, Luffy is sitting on the dragon-shaped figurehead with Aika in his lap.

"Well, I'm glad that's all over," Luffy said.

"Me, too," Aika answered.

A beat passes…but then the older D. Carrier gently ruffled Aika's hair.

"You showed real grit, Aika," the grinning teen said. "It was pretty reckless, though."

"You're reckless, too," Aika countered, causing Luffy to laugh.

"I guess you got me there!" he said. "Still…I'm proud of you, Aika."

(BGM: Rakuen by Do As Infinity)

Aika smiled before she hugged Luffy tightly, causing him to return her hug.

At the back of the ship, Ginger, still cradling the kit in her arms, stared off into the distance as Kinderinsel grew farther and farther away. Then, Cilantro approached her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, prompting his sister to look at him and smile.

"…It's all over, now," Cilantro said.

"Yeah," Ginger replied before the two siblings embraced.

"All right!" Luffy exclaimed as he stood up. "Let's get you guys home!"

"YEAH~!" the kids all cheered.

 **Daremo ga minna shitteru**

 **(Everybody knows)**

 **Kesa ya shinai kizu wo**

 **(A wound that cannot be erased)**

After a long time of sailing, the Straw Hats finally arrived at Humdrum Island, where the children soon had a happy, tearful reunion with their families…including Tarragon, who embraced his grandchildren and was surprised by Cilantro's change over the past six years, plus the fact that Ginger had come home with a baby fox in her arms.

 **Dore gurai tudzuku no**

 **(How long will this go on?)**

As the Straw Hats watched the reunion, Luffy suddenly collapsed, causing everyone to gather around him in concern. It turned out he had not yet fully recovered from his fight with Kyuubi, and he had developed a fever to boot.

 **Mou iranai yo**

 **(It's not needed anymore)**

Later, Luffy was taken to the _Sunny's_ sick bay, where he was left to rest. There, he was under sharp watch by Blizzard, Aika, and Kumi.

 **Daremo ga minna matteru**

 **(Everybody is waiting)**

 **Arasoi no nai hibi wo**

 **(For days without fighting)**

Meanwhile, Usopp is in the Men's Quarters with Cilantro, holding up a pair of scissors as he prepares to cut the boy's hair down to the right length.

 **Senjyou no heishitachi**

 **(All you soldiers on the battlefield)**

 **Omoidashite yo**

 **(Remember now)**

After sleeping overnight, Luffy finally awakens, only to see Aika, Kumi, Chopper, Ginger, the fox kit, and Cilantro, who now had his hair cut, combed, and washed and is wearing a blue Criminal Shirt and a pair of beige shorts, all smiled at him.

 **Ima haha no nukumori wo**

 **(The warmth of your mothers)**

Suddenly, the children, puppy, and Chopper, all jumped on Luffy, embracing him in a hug, causing the Straw Hat Captain to laugh.

 **Kono hateshinaku hiroi sekai ni**

 **(In this wide, never-ending world)**

 **Jibun dake wo chizu egaite**

 **(Only you can draw your map)**

Soon after, the rest of the Straw Hats come in and greet their captain. Sanji holds up a big plate of meat, causing Luffy to drool.

 **Namida koraete bokura wa**

 **(Hold back your tears and together)**

 **Aruite yukou**

 **(Let's walk forward)**

Later, Luffy is lying next to Nami in the grass, his stomach comically bloated after eating so much. The navigator chuckles, bemused, as she looks at him.

 **Tachiagare ima hora nando demo**

 **(However many times it takes, stand up now)**

Then, Zoro and Robin are sitting back-to-back, the latter reading a book while the former snoozes.

 **Nemuru shishi yobioshikute**

 **(Waking the sleeping lion)**

Aika is seen, playfully running alongside Ginger with Kumi chasing after them.

 **Ikite kunda ashite he**

 **(And go on living towards tomorrow)**

Chopper is sitting in the sick bay, trying to make a new medicine, but when he adds a different chemical, the concoction explodes, leaving Chopper comically charred. The scene then switches to Brook and Franky, who are performing a ukulele-and-guitar duet for some kids.

 **Daremo ga minna**

 **(Everybody possesses)**

 **Hito kakera no ai wo**

 **(One piece of love)**

Later, Kumi is chewing on a rope that she found, but the kit tries to snatch it from her, resulting in a game of tug-of-war.

 **Nikunde mo nani hitotsu**

 **(Through hatred)**

 **Umarenainda yo**

 **(Nothing can result)**

Then, Blizzard comes up and takes the toy away, annoyed by the pups' selfishness.

 **Sonna no mou iranai yo**

 **(This is not needed anymore)**

The scene changes to some bottles of medicine, all of them labeled "For Ginger", and next to that is a blue dog bowl with the name "KITZU" in big red letters.

 **Kono kagiri aru toki no naka de**

 **(In the limited time we have)**

Everything goes black for a moment, but then, we get an image of Dragon, who was looking up to the sky.

 **Mada minu rakuen mezashite**

 **(Reach for that unseen paradise)**

Then there are images of Sabo, Koala, Hack, and Lucky, all standing back-to-back as they look up, as well.

 **Dokomade datte bokura wa aruite yukou**

 **(No matter how far we have to go, let's walk forward)**

Aika and Kumi stand by each other, staring up at the stars.

 **Kono hateshinaku hiroi sekai no**

 **(In this wide, never-ending world)**

Chopper sits up on Blizzard's head as they, too, stare up at the sky.

 **Mada minu rakuen mezashite**

 **(Reach for that unseen paradise)**

Sanji sits on a tree branch, holding a rose as he smokes a cigarette.

 **Dokomade datte bokura wa aruite yukou**

 **(No matter how far we have to go, let's walk forward)**

Then we see Brook sitting on the railing as he plays his violin while Usopp sits next to him, staring up at the starry sky while holding a fishing rod.

 **Hurimukanaide mae dake wo mite**

 **(Without turning back, only look ahead)**

Robin sits in the library, looking out the window to see the stars, while Zoro, up in the Crow's Nest, is busy training.

 **Sono karada kuchihateru made**

 **(Until the body rots away)**

Nami stands on the deck, holding a hot cup of tea and wearing a shawl around her shoulders as she watches the sky.

 **Ikite yukunda mirai he**

 **(And go on living towards the future)**

Finally, cut to Luffy, who sits on the figurehead as he stares up at the stars before bowing his head down and putting his hat on his head.

(A/N: End of song.)

XXX

"So….you're leaving now, huh?"

"Yeah. It's time for us to hit the seas."

The Straw Hats stood on the _Sunny's_ aft as they looked back at Tarragon, Ginger, Cilantro, and Kitzu.

"Shame you couldn't stick around much longer," said Tarragon.

"Thanks for stocking up our food supply, nonetheless, old timer," Sanji spoke up.

"Think nothing of it," Tarragon replied. "It's the least I can do…after all, you pirates kept your word. Not only did you bring back my grandchildren, but you also brought back all the other kids. Your doctor even prescribed Ginger with medicine that will help her disease."

"Just so you know," Chopper began, "the medicine won't completely cure Ginger's illness, but it will at least prolong the effects. She has to take it every week. Make sure of that, and don't worry if she runs out. Just send me a letter in case you do, and I'll send more! I promise!"

"We seriously can't thank you enough," Cilantro said.

"Hey, c'mon, kid!" Franky exclaimed. "Now it's just embarrassing, getting thanked like this so much!"

"We're more used to getting chased outta town," Zoro added, "seeing as how we're pirates and all."

"For pirates, though, you're all right!" Tarragon said. "Please, feel free to come back anytime you want. All meals you eat at my restaurant will be on me!"

"You can count on it, Pops!" Luffy cheered.

"I think you said the magic word," said a bemused Nami.

"Isn't it about time we got going?" Robin asked.

"I agree," Brook chimed in. "We best be off, now!"

Aika looked at Ginger, who returned her glance while holding Kitzu in her arms.

"…I guess this is goodbye," Ginger said.

"Don't say goodbye," Aika replied. "You only say that if you never see someone again…and I really wanna see you again, Ginger!"

A pause…but then Ginger smiled.

"I wanna see you again, too," she said. "Right, Kitzu?"

Kitzu yipped excitedly in response, causing Aika to laugh.

"…Take care, Ginger."

"You, too, Aika…so long."

"Let's set sail, guys!" Luffy ordered.

"AYE~!" the Straw Hats shouted, and on that, the Straw Hats sailed off, leaving Tarragon, Cilantro, and Ginger to wave goodbye until they were out of their sight.

"…Thank you, Aika," whispered Ginger. "I never had a friend like you."

Cilantro put his hand on his sister's shoulder while Kitzu licked her cheek, causing her to laugh.

XXX

On the _Sunny_ , Luffy is sitting on the figurehead once more with Aika in his lap.

"So where do you think our next adventure will be, Aika?" asked Luffy.

"It doesn't matter," Aika answered before she looked up at Luffy and grinned. "Everyday is an adventure as long as I'm with you, Big Brother!"

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "You got that right!"

 **THE END**

* * *

Well, that's it! That's the end!

I know you guys might have mixed feelings about Kyuubi, or "Kitzu", being adopted by Ginger, but I just thought "Hey! At least he's not evil anymore!".

I had fun with this, and I thank you guys for sticking with it to the end. ^^ Next week, I start on One Piece: Unlimited Adventure!

Review, please!


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